I Hate Kobe Bryant


I hate Kobe for one reason, and one reason alone.

I don't hate Kobe because of his unrivaled passion for the game that allowed him to go out every single night and compete against the best of the best, while having that same level of intensity against the worse of the worse. Because regardless of whether he was playing for a championship, or ending the seasons on a losing team, he always went out there and tried to win the game like everything was on the line.

I don't hate Kobe for his determination to be the best that ever did it. When he sat there across from the many greats that stepped on the court, he never backed down. He always rose up to the occasion, and in the times of loss, he asked them for advice on how to be better the next time. He was humbled enough to accept defeat, but his drive was high enough to lean from it and be even hungrier for the win the next time.


I don't even hate Kobe for imitating Jordan's game. Even though they say imitation is often the best form of flattery, Kobe, (like Jordan who was shunned in high school), used the exact same skill set to destroy everyone who ever said that he would fizzle out and be nothing more than just a high school stud. Even when the Hornets knew they were just drafting Bryant to trade him, he used that as even more fuel to be the best that can be; which seemed to have worked out well for him.

I don't hate Kobe for imposing his will on his opponents, using his fiery words and even deathly glares to make the best of defenders play harder so that he can become even more better and potent. There are many superstars and legends that could say they made each other better when they played, but few have been compared to Bryant in the sense that he made them better and even pushed them to the point of physical, mental and even emotional exhaustion.


I don't even hate Kobe for making the Toronto Raptors into complete fools with his 81 point performance back in 2006 when he finally took the reigns of the Lakers franchise solely for himself. Second to only Wilt on the list of most points scored in a game list, Kobe's five appearances on the list is the second most among any player in NBA history. But it would go without mention that he always led the way with the most misses in NBA history. But you have to shot shots to make shots, and Kobe did just that.

I can't even hate Kobe for his five championships, one MVP trophy, eighteen All-Star game appearances, two scoring titles, fifteen All-NBA championships, twelve All-Defensive team selections, he hit 27 of his 29 game winning field goals and for being the only player to play for a single franchise for twenty years. Oh yea, and not to mention the last game with the franchise, he drops 60 points, scoring ten points to tie and put them ahead for good, while dropping the Utah Jazz from the playoffs. He went out like a legend in his last game.

You couldn't picture it better than that. 


I hate Kobe because he's taking away that combination of mental toughness, sheer & utter talent & that thirst to win. That's something that you don't see too much these days from players, the perfect combination for a winner. The desire to win and the moxie and will power to back it up on the court by any means necessary. Some say that he is the last of a generation to have that mental toughness and fortitude, I would say those people were right if Tim Duncan wasn't still playing.

I hate Kobe because as he makes his exit from the game of basketball it just reminds me that a style and era of basketball that will never come back. When hard fouls and blood were a routine thing. When playing through breaks, tears and worn out bones were nothing and you rarely heard of it. I would say that those days where he couldn't walk and was too stiff to think about the pain that was running through his body attributed to the great last game that we saw. I hate Kobe Bryant simply because he took the type of basketball that I loved to see.

I hate Kobe Bryant simply because he took away the last his kind.

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