Quite simply Kobe Bryant is one of the most galvanizing figures in NBA history. You either love him or hate him, there’s no middle ground. We can honestly say there’s no other NBA superstar that receives the same degree of criticism that Kobe has over the years (though “The Decision” is slowly changing all of this). I put together a list of Top 10 Things Haters Say About Kobe and Why History will prove them wrong:
10 – He’s not better than Michael Jordan. Yes Lakers fans I hate to break the news to you; Kobe Bryant is not better than Michael Jordan. Lakers fans hardly believed he was, nor do they even entertain the argument. This is just sportstalk fodder by the national media every June after the Lakers annual championship parade (BTW – which is an official rite of summer: Memorial Day, 4th of July, BBQ’s and a Lakers Championship parade). It’s meant to light up the phone lines and draw out a “YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!” from the Kobe haters. Listen, we know he won the first three titles with Shaq. We know the hand checking rules are different and that MJ would score 65 points a game. And we know he never faced Detroit’s Bad Boys or Riley’s Knicks. We get it.
Shhhhhh, (in a whisper tone) but you know what? I’ll take the second best shooting guard in the David Stern era.