I'm not a Kobe Hater...

As someone who has always enjoyed the athletic talents of Lebron James, I have always been labeled as a hater of Kobe Bryant.  In defending Lebron, it is almost a necessity to compare him to Kobe and then denigrate Kobe for all of the things he could have done better.  Thus, I have wrongly been labeled as a Kobe hater.

I would like to say here that I respect Kobe Bryant more than just about any other player in the league.  The things he does on a nightly basis are awe-inspiring and unbelievable.  In my opinion, he is the best scorer in the league and likely has the best footwork of any player in the league.  I honestly think he is amazing, but as I watched the Lakers' lose three straight games by ten points or more this week I remembered why I don't really like him.

My feelings can best be summed up in a quote from Bill Walton in The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons:
"As a fan, you want him to be perfect for you.  This comes back to your choice--who your heroes are.  You choose to value a certain type of player over anyone else.  He has the right to make his choice to decide who he wants to be, too."

As I read this, I realized exactly why people think I'm a Kobe hater.  Though I may be able to admit just how amazing and awe-inspiring I think Kobe is, I cannot stand the way he attempts to win games.  I hate that he wants to be the person that gets all of the glory and score all of the points, especially in the last few minutes of the game.  I despise that he KNOWS the Lakers have been most successful in the last three seasons when Gasol gets a significant number of post touches in Phil Jackson's Triangle offense, but yet he still has games like this Tuesday against the Spurs where he shoots 8 for 27 and the Lakers lose.

Does Kobe's amazing abilities disappear on these nights?  Does he stop doing the things that amaze me?  No.  He is still the exact same player, but my vision becomes clouded by the way Kobe tries to win games.  I start to focus on his selfish ways and the number of shots he makes.  I focus on this not because he does anything worse than other NBA players, but because I've seen it done differently.  I've seen players do it, in my opinion, the right way.

I enjoy the poetry of basketball.  I enjoy the extra pass to an open teammate.  I enjoy helpside defense and the role player who is willing to put his body on the line and step in to take a charge.  I enjoy the best shooter on the floor making a wide open three, not because of the shooter's sweet stroke, but instead because of the perfect screen set by the power forward.

I LOVE team basketball.  I loved the '04 Pistons who won the NBA title without a superstar.  I still love the San Antonio Spurs led by the greatest power forward of all-time Tim Duncan, who also doubles as one of the most unselfish superstars of all-time.  In the 80s, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson personified the idea of team and helped the Lakers and Celtics win championships with the help of their teammates.

This is why people see me as a Kobe hater.  I clearly appreciate his skills and understand his greatness, but my disappointment in his development as a leader and teammate has led me to ask for more from Bryant.  I know that he understands he can become a better team player and still win, but simply refuses to give up a little glory in order to make his team more successful.