This is exactly how I feel. I couldnt stand him for his entire career, but he finally seems to have matured and become a leader. Its about time. While it seems to me that Kevin Garnett has gone in the opposite direction. He went from a leader and a seemingly good guy to a complete and utter punk. Beat Boston, Kobe!
Chuck 4, I agree... I've been really annoyed with KG this postseason... with all his stupid faces, roid rage-like crazy intensity, beating his chest, yelling at himself... dude's a madman and has seems like he has no composure
I used to hate Kobe a lot. Now for some uncontrollable reason I find myself rooting for the Lakers (maybe cause they destroyed the Jazz and dismantled Spurs) which is odd because the Blazers are my 2nd favorite team. The things that Kobe does is amazing and you can't hate a talent like that. This is all to familiar for me because I used to hate Michael Jordan in the early 90's and finally started appreciating his Airness post '95. Anybody who doesn't like Kobe is just being a hater. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Never disliked Kobe but I hope they don't win the Championship because I can't stand Laker fans which means I can't stand the Lakers.
Ditto. Kobe is still the same ol' nasty, nasty individual who thinks he can get what he wants when he wants it, or he will publicly humiliate you -- and himself in the process -- until you give in. He has no 'shame in his game' as far as his personality is concerned or the way he goes about doing things. I don't think he's more 'likable' at all off the court, but fans have always shown the willingness to forgive and forget when it comes to great players. To me, he's the exact opposite of someone like a Tim Duncan, another equally great player, in that Timmy purposely stays under the radar and doesn't say or do anything controversial, and isn't willing to beat anyone down to get what he wants. When the season is over, Timmy retires to a secluded island and you don't hear a beep from him until the following season. Interestingly enough, both are 'loners' but one is an island boy and the other's company is basketball, he doesn't need or want any other friends. Both will win you games, but one is a lot more amicable.
Exactly what I want to say. People have short memory. They promptly forget how whiny and self-entitled just before the season began. Now that they have stolen some great talents to play with him, all of a sudden, he is a model citizen. Give me a break.
I think what makes Kobe so likeable right now is that he reminds me a lot of Hakeem. Like Kobe, Hakeem was pretty rough around the edges throughout much of his career (battling with the GM and owner, possibly faking an injury, getting into fights on the court, failing to lead his team past mediocrity, playing selfishly/not trusting his teammates, coming close to being traded, etc.). Then all of a sudden, it all came together for Hakeem, just like it has for Kobe. He matured as a player and man and he finally got the supporting cast he needed.
It is not wrong to criticize your teammates when you are a leader. It is wrong to do it in public. Think of it this way. If your boss chewed you up because you were not working hard enough, you wouldn't feel good but you would accept it. But if he chewed you up out on the street, you'd think he's a classless jerk.
This helps: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PVDJAqdgR4o&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PVDJAqdgR4o&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
Hakeem didn't rape girls. Hakeem didn't tell the management to get rid of another superstar (Ralph) on his team and then whined about how they didn't get him some talents.
that's a little over the top but your point stands, hakeem had one supposed issue with management when patterson claimed hakeem was faking an injury. kobe went on a radio show and said he wanted to be traded. not to mention his other transgression. hakeem is genuinely nice guy, if any of you have ever bumped into him. he's thoughtful about world events, and yao takes after him in this sense. kobe came into the league as a selfish kid, and he remained that way. hakeem my have been a fighter on the court but he was always distinguished. and he would never ever ever throw a teamate under the bus.
It's funny, last offseason hardly anyone on this board would have traded Tmac for him. There was no outrage over the fact that Morey wasn't even trying to acquire him. Bill Simmons even mentioned how odd it was that Houston and LA werent having talks about him. Then, when we got off to a quick start, the idea of trading Tmac for Kobe was blasphemous around here. 'why would we want a guy who doesn't make his teammates better, while tmac does?', people said. Now, after Fisher falls into his lap, after Gasol falls into his lap, the same guy that nobody wanted is all of a sudden more likable? He's all of a sudden a better leader? And this while he's going through another adultery scandal. Kobe is the same guy he was, except now he's dishing to Gasol instead of Kwame Brown. He's incredibly lucky. His career was precariously perched over the abyss last offseason. Everything was imploding. His team was mediocre, and he was on the verge of being traded. His teammates were alienated. We all know how it all turned out. It has been an incredible reversal of fortune for him. He'll probably get a ring out of it, but I'm not gonna be one of the suckers who starts to like him because an all-star fell into his lap.
Kobe is easily not just the best player, but one of the hardest working players in the league, he has come this far and deserves every bit of it, i can't really blame him for the off season drama, who would want to waste his talent on a team starring kwame brown and smush parker? I seen kobe in real life a bunch times, he is a very chill and polite person
It's funny, I was thinking the same thing the other night. I don't hate him with the same passion that I used to. His skills are amazing. But my hatred for the Jazz and Mavs stays strong.
