Why I Am Not a Fan of Kobe Bean Bryant

The NBA playoffs are well underway. The omniscient realm that is Twitter is full of sports experts trading 140-character volleys for each others' basketball souls. In the spirit of full disclosure, I wanted to share why Kobe stans and some Lakers fans and I will never agree, regardless of what transpires this summer.

I never have been and never will be a Kobe Bryant fan. Sure, I thought it was cool that he took Brandy to his high school prom, but in retrospect, how big of a deal was that? However, dating choices aside, Kobe and I have been at odds for fifteen years.

In June of 1996, the Charlotte Hornets had the 13th pick in the NBA draft. They selected Kobe, a promising young guard with the talent and pedigree to jump straight to the Association from high school. And apparently the ego to match. Kobe made it clear that he didn't want to play in Charlotte, and I was left with a 7-foot Serb--thanks for the flopping memories Vlade.

Now, if I'm eighteen and about to be a millionaire, sure I'd rather play in Los Angeles than Charlotte. If I'd grown up focusing on basketball my whole life, sure I'd rather play on the shoulders of Magic and Kareem than for an expansion team with just ten years of history. But those aren't the decisions draftees are supposed to make. Kobe acted as if he was above the system and robbed me of the chance to see greatness unfold in my hometown.

While I don't like Kobe, I do respect his game. He's a perennial all-star, undoubted future hall-of-famer, and arguably one of the top ten players of all-time. Hell, as someone who battles with occasional fits of ADD, I even admire his singular focus on his craft and his indomitable will. But my sentiments will never surpass that. You won't be able to convince me that he's anything more than a gifted athlete and dedicated basketball player. Just as I won't be able to convince you he's deserving of anything less than hardwood sainthood.

We'll just have to agree to disagree.

P.S. Kobe versus Lebron is a legitimate argument. Kobe versus Jordan is not. No matter how dedicated I am to art or how skilled I become, repainting the Sistine Chapel does not make me Michelangelo.