Lebron James vs Kobe Bryant, in the season, in MVP talk, more

[Da KO King]

Yes, how dare Ricky Davis think that the rookie who was drafted and called "the next Magic Johnson" and was slated to start at the PG spot was going to set Ricky up for baskets.

[Flashbeanie]

Is it him (the smug arrogance, aloofness) or the fact that he plays in such a glitzy city that has more than the lion's share of championships supported by such fanatical fans? If CP3, a very likeable player, was LA's superstar, would he receive just as much venom?

[Lamar Doom]

oh ricky d. the dunk over nash, the intentionally missed layup on his own basket, the hair.

I lived in the dorms at the university of iowa on the same floor as ricky, he roomed with dean oliver (one of my faves, he almost made it with golden state but blew his knee out, gilbert arenas gives dean O a lot of credit for helping make him the player he is today), what a trip ricky was. we had to take some sexual education/harassment course together and ricky was a clown. He's definitely a bit of a f*ck head sometimes on the court, but he's such a character. hilarious quote.





don't worry paul, after a few seasons with ricky and wally, you'll go from being the biggest pile in the league to picking up kevin garnett and ray allen and having the best record in the association.

[bleedinpurpleTwo]

that's actually an interesting question.
I say, no, he would not be more likeable. He is too introverted, too determined, to be the charming jolly class clown that everyone likes.

Now, it doesn't help that he is on the Lakers, which probably has both the largest fan base and the largest hater base.

[Vendetta]

It's his attitude and the fact that he plays for the Lakers...

Other than being on a Candian team or perhaps the Knicks, I can't imagine him being in a worse spot to gather more idiot followers.

[Se]

Yes, how dare Ricky Davis think that the rookie who was drafted and called "the next Magic Johnson" and was slated to start at the PG spot was going to set Ricky up for baskets.

Thread winner

[junkifunki]

Kobe's a smug, ballhoggin prick who always has a chip on his shoulder about something. Always plays with some kind of agenda. The day he stepped foot in the league, he acted like his shyt dont stink, demanding to be traded from the Hornets. He rips into his teammates off the court and isolates/ignores them on the court. He ran the most dominant player ever out of town and is constantly asking for trades. Let's not forget he's a possible rap!st as well...

But no... those couldnt be the reasons why people hate Kobe... it must be because he plays for the Lakers. I mean... Magic.. Jerry West.. Kareem.. Wilt... The general public hated these guys with a passion.......

oh wait... no they didn't... that only pertains to Kobe.

[Eldrunko247]

What does it matter. You don't know him personally or any other player for that matter. I don't get the fan boi groupie love or the hate. I can understand the hate for his fans though.

[Lamar Doom]

the kobe hating situation just got out of hand, i grew up loving the show time lakers but the shaq and kobe lakers made my blood boil, i mean i absolutely hated the guy for years. it's a combination of things with kobe

*the evil empire - like the yankees, the lakers are going to have a share of haters just because they're the lakers- one thing i always hated about the lakers too was their fan base, they are the least home-towny team i can think of, the knicks fans are d*cks but at least they're new yorkers and there's this salt-of-the-earth element to them, so many Laker fans are just at games to be seen, nobody in LA is from LA, it's just a plastic bandwagon fan base

*overstocked talent- 18 year old kid comes to the league and gets to win 3 championships shortly thereafter, it's hard to root for goliath

*early kobe- man he was such a little hot head arrogant smug prick when he was younger, anyone else remember that commercial where he's sitting on some italian villa looking thoughtful and composing his poetry about his psyche? god i hated that kid

*the rape thing- kobe was trying so hard to be the face of basketball, mr. do-right, he said all the right things, talked like jordan, gave bland ass vanilla answers to every question (still does for the most part, i think kobe would find so many more fans if he was more willing to show true joy, despair, or anger... he so often gives cliche politician-esque answers, <<i swear if i hear one more player talk about "focus on defense night in and night out, take it one game at a time" i'll start lobbying for only artest/marbury/sheed interviews>> just comes off robotic, but i have to say i think he's been better this year about being himself), and then it turns out he cheated on his wife and had rough sex with some girl, a lot of people still think he's guilty of rape, it's hard to live that sort of charge down, once it's public that you're "charged with rape" you're going to fall out of favor with a lot of people


for me there were two things that changed my mind on him- the rape thing was part of it, cheating on your wife or girlfriend is for jerks, but i know lots of people i care about who have cheated, I did not and do not think kobe bryant raped that girl, i thought it was a desperate and pathetic money or attention scheme by a screwed up girl, i hate to use "kobe bryant doesn't have to rape girls" as an argument, there are so many points here on a touchy subject, but my heart tells me kobe bryant did not rape her, and i'm not one of these men who assumes innocence in rape allegations, usually the opposite, but it just seemed like bullsh*t and it made me feel bad for him and dammit if sympathy doesn't soften me up.
Second- my favorite player (Doom/stardom/the big intangible/daddy long/the goods) went to the lakers and I have since seen every game for four seasons. Kobe Bryant? this guy is the absolute highest truth. Watching this guy will leave you in awe. This guy is the best player in the league, bar none. The complete lack of objectivity of kobe haters became what inevitably led me to switch over from being a die hard kobe hater to a kobe "fan". Do i want to hang out with him? no. But it is michael jordan and kobe bryant and that's where the argument stops. I love lebron, I love KG, but kobe bryant is no worse than the second best player i've ever seen. Listening to and reading people who have such unforgiving, unobjective criticism and hate for kobe-- about him not being the best player-- is really a sign of basketball ignorance or pure bias.


in short (heh) i don't know if kobe would have been so hated if he'd gone to the charlotte hornets, i can't help but think those rings are part of what makes him so hated, but surely not all of it.

[Showtime]

If Kobe was losing every year as a hornet, he wouldn't have the fanbase or support, and would just be considered in the T-Mac level of the league.

[KINGD]

Kobe>>>>Lebron
Kobe is
the better ball handler
better on-ball defender
better post game
better scorer
just as good a rebounder
much better FT shooter
much better mid range shooting
better 3 point shooter
more clutch
more feared
wider ofenssive repertoire

[gts]

to the OP..
did you find the other 20. kobe vs. lebron for MVP threads unsuitable to reply in?

[Qwyjibo]

Neither.

I choose Falkor!

[SourGrapes]

first off, this thread is tricky...its couching the discussion in negative terms. its not sincerely wanting know whether going to a different team effects a players persona. its just an underhanded way to take a shot at a player.

personally, i like kobe as a basketball player. also, i have recurring dreams of kobe kicking me in the face.

[gts]

can't go wrong with falkor... but i d rather see r2d2 get it...