Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 at 2:01 pm  |  169 responses

Hater Proof

Why Kobe Bryant is the NBA’s real “King.”

by Bryan Crawford / @_BryanCrawford

I can’t count how many times I’ve been called a “Kobe Lover.”

In fact, the actual number of times would probably be considered ridiculous if there were a way to count them all up.NBA/ What’s funny is that for the people who’ve given me that label as a diss–a diss that I’ll gladly accept anytime–what they don’t know is that for a long time, I wasn’t a big Kobe Bryant fan. I liked him when he was at Lower Marion and when he got drafted in 1996 I think I may have been a fan for maybe his rookie season, but that was it. After that, I became very critical of him and stopped liking him for a very long time.

I can’t exactly remember when it all changed and I became one of the biggest Kobe Bryant fans outside of Los Angeles, but knowing me, at some point I came to the realization that this guy was the second best player to ever play the game and hating on him would only make me look stupid in the long run. By the way, we all know who the first is. The guy that people say Kobe’s been a clone of since day one, Michael Jordan.

That’s actually one of the reasons why people–myself included at one point–tend to dislike Kobe. The other reason has something to do with that thing that “allegedly” happened in Colorado that one time; emphasis on allegedly. But I’m not going to get into a moral discussion here because I don’t care about any of that stuff. I’m a basketball head to the bone, so the non-basketball things doesn’t matter to me anymore.

Unlike a lot of people, I’ve learned that in order to truly appreciate Kobe, you must use a filter. You have to filter the MJ copycat stuff out, his perceived arrogance, and the incident in Eagle, CO. Once you’re able to get rid of all of the things that are inconsequential and focus strictly on the basketball aspects, it makes it that much easier to see and accept the fact that Kobe Bryant is a bad mother…excuse me. But you get my point.

So I’ve come to the conclusion that hating on Kobe makes you a hater of the highest order. It puts you right up there in Silky Johnston’s HHOF (Haters Hall of Fame). Even worse, from here on out, any hating on him shall be cause for openly questioning one’s knowledge of basketball. Yeah, it’s that serious because realistically speaking, when it comes to this game, Kobe Bryant is hater proof. For real.

Beginning Thursday, he’ll be competing for his fifth NBA Championship. If he wins, he’ll have the most championships of any active player making him tops amongst his peers, if he even has any of those anymore. He’ll also be playing in his third straight NBA Finals series. That’s right, three in a row. That hasn’t been done since Shaquille O’Neal was playing in La La Land. Remember when all of the talk was that Kobe couldn’t win without the “Big Everything”? Well, you can throw that right out the window. Whether he wins or loses this series, Kobe’s proven that he doesn’t need Shaq. And Shaq’s proven that he’s old.

Kobe’s life mission as it pertains to basketball is to be the greatest ever. Not just in word, but in deed. He’s chasing the greatest player we’ve ever seen in the modern era in Michael Jordan (nothing wrong with that), and it’s scary to think that had things unfolded a different way, he might already be there. Think about it for a second.

This is Kobe’s seventh NBA Finals, the most among any other active players and one more than Jordan played in. Had he not lost to the Pistons in ’04 and to the Celtics in ’08, he could be tied with MJ right now and looking to surpass him in about a week or so. I know what you’re thinking, ‘Well, if MJ hadn’t left to play baseball, he’d have won eight titles’. To that I say, you’re probably right. But either way you look at it, actual or hypothetical, like it or not, Kobe is right on MJ’s heels and he got there by setting a goal and doing whatever it took to achieve it. He’s the epitome of what it means to “aim high.” He doesn’t care about anything else, only his legacy and his place in this game and I hold the utmost respect for him because of the work that I know he’s put in over the years to get where he is today.

Whether you choose to accept it or not, he’s the person that today’s players judge themselves agains. Kobe is the player that everyone is trying to be better than now. Not MJ.

And should he one day pass Michael Jordan in the championship category, Kobe will still never be as loved and revered as Jordan was (and still is). Actually, it may even make him that much more hated by the masses. The love and admiration that is typically reserved for those who win has for whatever reason gone to LeBron James who hasn’t won anything, but real hoop heads know what’s up when it comes to KB24. He is “That man.”

So even if you don’t like him as a person, don’t let that blind you and keep you from admitting that Kobe Bryant is probably your favorite player’s favorite player. Don’t let it keep you from acknowledging his greatness. Don’t let it keep you from admitting that he’s the best basketball player in the NBA. There’s a big difference between being the best basketball player and the best “athlete” and once you can differentiate between the two, it might change the way you view things.

Kobe Bryant works harder at his craft than probably 99.9 percent of the entire League. He leaves nothing to chance and the results speak for themselves. We’re supposed to honor those who show a commitment to focus, greatness, excellence and hard work, not hate on them. He doesn’t deserve that.

I’m not writing this to try and change anyone’s mind because it’s futile. It seems that once someone has decided to hate on Kobe, that’s it. There’s no going back for them. They’ve drank the Kool-Aid that says that winning is unimportant and a player’s greatness is determined by Sportscenter highlights and shoe commercials and not on anything tangible like Larry O’Brien trophies, championship rings and banners. The haters may not want to admit it, but with a straight face they can’t say that only-kings-have-rings-frontKobe Bryant sucks at playing basketball. So why even bother?

Still, to the Kobe haters, hate if you must. But know that if you do, when it comes to a debate about his greatness and his place among the best ever to play this game, you’re going to lose that argument every single time. His body of work speaks for itself and one thing has nothing to do with the other anyway.

Kobe Bryant is the best.

Period.

End of discussion.

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  • Dre

    Red, hit me at the_wb91@hotmail.com

  • Dre

    Hey Red, you can contact me at the_wb91@hotmail.com

  • Dre

    Sorry for the duplicate, it wouldn’t show my post at first. Hey redrum, if that post is for me sure, I would love to hear from you.

  • Joe

    Dre- My apologies for the misunderstanding. I simply believe that anyone who HATES KB, is mentally unstable. Real hatred should be reserved for those who earn it. Like Bin Laden, or Hitler, or those responsible for the genocides in Darfur and Rwanda. Or even Leonard Little, how many of these people who hate KB hate Little? How many even know who he is? Yet he is a far more hate-able guy than KB will ever be. They hate KB because he’s too good, but they must justify it with second hand stories and articles from people who are paid to sell them a story. There are people who should be hated for real and those to be hated in jest. The problem for celebrities is some of us don’t know where that line is drawn.

  • Dre

    I personally don’t hate Kobe, do I think he’s a good person… from what I understand probably not. I for one know that everything you read in the media might not be the truth but it also doesn’t mean that it is a lie either. I don’t believe in hating because it takes up too much energy. However, the statement he made in the finals I saw him and heard him make the statement so, that I something I observed first hand. The stuff about Shaq and other ball players were quoted and I haven’t heard about a law suit so I will assume that there is some truth to them. I think Kobe is beyong fantastic as a ball player but it doesn’t mean he is a good guy and if people don’t find him to be a good guy that is their perogative. I agree hate is a bit much and overboard but he has given people reason not to like him. Who knows bro… maybe those people do hate him in jest. If so they are probably not going to specify that it is in jest. I will just hope that this is what they mean.

  • RedRum

    Dre, thanks my man, check your email (Red and RedRum is me). I actually love Kobe, his work ethic sets the standard for players that want to be great. I think along Shaq and Duncan he has been the best player the last 10 years, certainly the best backcourt player. He is probably top 10 ever. He has the mindset and skill to be the best ever, I truly believe that. But he STILL has a lot to prove until he gets there. My objection with Bryan and everyone else who put him in the GOAT discussion, is that you act more like cheerleading fanboys than impartial basketball fans.

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    Redrum, cheerleading fanboys? So you would’ve preferred I said, “Kobe is good, but…”? Sorry, my bad.

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    After thinking about it, Redrum, how about this… Removing all of the past greats, including MJ, can we agree that in the current era of the NBA, Kobe Bryant is the best of all time? Or is that still giving him way too much credit?

  • Dre

    Wow, Red cheerleading fanboy… Greece goes hard huh? Man, I’m going to like rapping with you… I can’t wait to pick your brain on b-ball. Kobe’s work ethic is on another level. I would put it up there with MJ’s and Jerry Rice’s. That is what makes him so great. I would even say he is the reason that Lebron’s game has gone to another level. Lebron said he knew working out was important but didn’t take that serious until him and Kobe got closer during the Olympics. Kobe really showed him how to take his workout and diet to another level.

  • Dre

    Hey B, what criteria should be used to determine the games greatest player?

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  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    Dre, being that you’re the “expert” here based on your basketball pedigree, maybe I should be asking you that. I mean, what do I know? After all, I’m just a “cheerleading fanboy”, a terrible writer, and an embarrassment to SLAM. But are you referring to my last comment, meaning the games greatest player in the current era of the NBA?

  • Dre

    Seeing that you are suppose to be writing a column for a great basketball magazine and you are getting all emotional offended, talking smart and crap that is why I was asking you. I never said I was an expert, I never called you a cheerleading fanboy, I never called you a terrible writer and never called you an embarrassment to SLAM. I’ve always enjoyed your articles, they make good conversation pieces. I don’t think you should get so upset about it. If people don’t agree with you there is not need to degrade or devalue their opinion and vice versa.

  • The Philosopher

    @Bryan Crawford: Call ME what you want, but why are you going after the wrong dude?

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    @Dre…no disrespect to you, but I was being serious. You see, I’ve played ball and still play. My thing is, it’s hard to “truly” understand this game if you’ve never played it. That doesn’t mean you have to have competed at the pro level like you say that you have, but there is certain insight that one has about the game and the evaluation of players that only comes from participation and spending time around the game. That said, certain readers/commenters like to challenge my knowledge of the basketball so I do the same in return. I engage in a way that may seem offensive & condescending, but it’s really just me having fun with you guys. My sensitivity is feigned, trust me. I could truly care less what someone who I don’t consider to be a “peer” thinks about me or my work. That’s no different than a professional athlete’s attitude when he’s being criticized by someone who has never played the game. But there are some commenters who really think they know this game better than those of us who write about it professionally and by telling them in so many words that they have no clue, I find it enjoyable to watch them try (and oftentimes fail) to prove their knowledge. Some exhibit a high “basketball IQ” and I respect those guys, while others just ramble and like to argue while exhibiting how truly clueless they are in the process.

  • Dre

    I feel you B, I agree with a lot of what you say. I played oversees and in the small leagues in the US. I consider myself and student of the game and I coach now. I really enjoy coaching and I have always considered myself a student of the game. I would still be playing myself bro but I am going to need knee replacement surgery on the left knee so that is wrap for me man. Like I said, I have always enjoyed your articles. I do feel for the most part if you played in the NBA especially long careers you have to know something about the game to last. I think Barkley gets a bad rap because he isn’t the best speaker but I find it impossible to be a top 50 player and not have a good knowledge of the game. However, I share your sentiments about how a lot of NBA athletes feel like they are the only ones that can know and understand the game.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1192-NBA-Examiner Sherron Shabazz
  • kendall

    Why I hate Kobe.

    1) After winning 3 back to back titles in commented that he hated the triangle and 3 office which happen to win jordan 6 titles.

    2) the whole beef with shaq the finals 3 time mvp that got kobe 3 of his rings.

    3) The disdain he displayed to being compared to Michael Jordan early in kobes career.

    4) His recent comments that he now has more rings than shaq. Shaq buried tha hatchet years ago and proved to be the bigger person.

    5) and dont forget after he was caught in his own infidelities he threw shaq under the bus for his. Hmmm I wonder who the real hater is.

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    Yo, Kendall…I don’t know what the “triangle and 3 office” is, but I do know that the triangle is an OFFENSE and the triangle-and-2 is a DEFENSE. How can you make an argument when you don’t even know simple basketball stuff? SMH…

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