[orangedays]

Whatchu talkin' bout theWillis? (sorry...couldn't help it)

I think if we look at Kobe from a purely on-court perspective, he is still highly regarded and respected. I think this speaks a great deal about how talented the guy really is. He's even leading an on-going poll on this forum for "Who is the best overall player in the NBA?" But think about it objectively for a moment - what if Kobe Bryant wasn't a basketball player, what if he were one of your friends? Or, more appropriately, a business associate?

One of the best COOs in the business quit because he didn't want to deal with the employee anymore. As a result of his actions, one of the best employees in the business was fired and replaced by a far lesser employee (now whether or not he held the firm hostage is another debate all-together). The firm went from being one of the most prestigious to being stunningly mediocre (think Arthur Andersen post-Enron, but not as catastrophic). PLUS, he cheated on his wife? I give Kobe credit, alot of credit, for his competitive spirit and for his talent, but to be honest, I wouldn't really want to hang out with him. From what I've heard about him, he's just not my type of dude - and I think that's the case with alot of people - hence the "Kobe hate".

Plus dude, he's a Laker. F*ck everyone who's not a Mav.