Most Misunderstood Player

[Striders]

I'm bringing it up now? I could have sworn the post I just quoted was trying to pawn it off as something insignificant.

I actually laughed at that part. "Well, minus the rape case, Kobe is a pretty nice guy."

[Kayjay]

in a thread where people talk about why people dislike certain players, it's totally reasonable to bring up an alleged rape someone committed

Of course it is. What I'm saying is that it's very naive to think that the rape case was the catalyst of some people's hatred towards Kobe Bryant. No, sir...they have already disliked him since before, the case was just a realistic outlet to channel their hate.

so what you're saying is: kobe proved he was a tool, validating the suspicions of his haters?

[chubby_1_kenobi]

Kobe's been accused of rape and snitching, the 2 worse things you could possibly do. He got whooped by Chris Childs, did you see that fairy slap he threw back? There are plenty reasons why not to like Kobe.

Adultery is not a crime. Paying girls you're sleeping with is not a felony. So what's there to snitch about? Did Kobe talk to Shaunie? No, he talked to police officers with the assumption that the conversation was supposed to be 100% confidential about something that's not punishable by law. What is there to snitch about?

And the Chris Childs thing? He's criticized for not able to land a punch now? Yeah, it's really not a stretch to say that Kobe is the most misunderstood by faaaaaar.

[Priggy Smalls]

I'm bringing it up now? I could have sworn the post I just quoted was trying to pawn it off as something insignificant.

I actually laughed at that part. "Well, minus the rape case, Kobe is a pretty nice guy."

The real injustice in this all is that I love me some mamba, but to act like his detractors don't have ammunition is ludicrous,

[deepthighbruise]

Kobe. Where people got the idea that he's a "douchebag" and he's "fake" and whatnot is beyond me. At least LeBron clearly tries to play the role of the antagonist. Minus the rape case, I can't think of anything Kobe's ever done to really make the general public perceive him as evil.

It's funny too, because when you ask people why they TRULY hate him, they give you the stupidest reasons, like, "Oh I hate how he does that dumb scowling face," which is something far too minor to even use as enough to dislike someone, or "Oh I hate how he copies Jordan," as though learning from the greats is a bad thing.

I seriously have friends who're completely NBA clueless but seem to hate Mr. Bryant with a blazing passion.

As mentioned before, the rape thing is a big deal.

And for on the court/in the realm of the sport..he's always been perceived as the guy who broke up the Lakers first dynasty, with Shaq and Phil. He's the guy who held the Lakers hostage, and suffered with Smush Parker and Chris Mihm for a couple years or so. And then, when he did let PJ come back and said he wouldn't interfere, he demanded to be traded because Kupchak wouldn't trade Bynum for Jason Kidd. It was only six months after the Gasol deal that he was happy to be a Laker. Now everything's all peachy.

Personally, I think of all-time, Oscar Robertson's the most misunderstood player. I had a principal who used to live in LA, and once, when the Bucks came to town, he tried to get Robertson's autograph after a game. Robertson ignored my principal (then a kid) rather coldly. He said he didn't know why Robertson did it, "probably because he was a spoiled punk athlete" and, to be honest, in the context of the situation, it sounded like a race thing.

Robertson's history shows how race played a role in his life, and how it left a chip on his shoulder. I remember reading in Simmons's "Book of Basketball" that Robertson's never been a GM or coach, and he was only briefly a commentator. The reasoning is because too many people thought Robertson a jerk. But reading about his early life, he had reason to be one.

Modern day? I'm not so sure anyone's too misunderstood. Especially with so much media coverage and technology. I've heard arguments that LeBron just wants to be liked, which is why he is so pompous and arrogant. But I honestly don't know if anyone's that misunderstood.

In which case, I'll give it to Yi. I mean, he does need a translator...if that isn't misunderstood...

[JustAwesome]

Artest is still the same guy. Just because he now owns a championship ring doesn't make him different. In fact, him being the same guy (someone with a chip on his shoulders) is a big reason why you guys won the title.

[Devilzsidewalk]

I'm bringing it up now? I could have sworn the post I just quoted was trying to pawn it off as something insignificant.

I actually laughed at that part. "Well, minus the rape case, Kobe is a pretty nice guy."

The real injustice in this all is that I love me some mamba, but to act like his detractors don't have ammunition is ludicrous,

well to be fair that girl was asking for it, wearing those tight pants like that

[Stills12]

Allen Iverson.

+1. A ton of people see Iverson as some sort of godsend who played basketball the right way and made the game better.

The truth of the matter is that Allen Iverson is, and always has been, a me-first defensless chucker more concerned with his own scoring statistics than the score at the end of the game.

[mikhailjordan]

My name isn't HATER. It's mikhailjordan. Get it right.

[Kayjay]

also this title is marbury's to shine

if you listened to his internet ramblings and breakdown, they made a surprising amount of sense considering the pressures he was under. the man just danced and played with his fans for a couple days. the vaseline-eating--whatever, tyra banks does it too. i figure it's some kind of hood thing.

i'm glad he found a home in china away from the spotlight and the constant negativity heaped on him. also, any criticisms about his game have to be tempered by the fact that he was replaced by two of the greatest point guards to ever play the game, not that his game was somehow naturally not conducive to winning.

[chubby_1_kenobi]

in a thread where people talk about why people dislike certain players, it's totally reasonable to bring up an alleged rape someone committed

Of course it is. What I'm saying is that it's very naive to think that the rape case was the catalyst of some people's hatred towards Kobe Bryant. No, sir...they have already disliked him since before, the case was just a realistic outlet to channel their hate.

so what you're saying is: kobe proved he was a tool, validating the suspicions of his haters?

Why was there a suspicion if the first place, that's the question you should be asking. The haters formed a concept without making an effort to understand where he's coming from so any kind of slip would be considered "VALIDATION". Granted, the rape case was a big slip but it wouldn't validate anything if the hatred wasn't already there. That initial hatred is why I believe Kobe is the most misunderstood.

[Indy2thaWindy]

Personally, I think of all-time, Oscar Robertson's the most misunderstood player. I had a principal who used to live in LA, and once, when the Bucks came to town, he tried to get Robertson's autograph after a game. Robertson ignored my principal (then a kid) rather coldly. He said he didn't know why Robertson did it, "probably because he was a spoiled punk athlete" and, to be honest, in the context of the situation, it sounded like a race thing.

Robertson's history shows how race played a role in his life, and how it left a chip on his shoulder. I remember reading in Simmons's "Book of Basketball" that Robertson's never been a GM or coach, and he was only briefly a commentator. The reasoning is because too many people thought Robertson a jerk. But reading about his early life, he had reason to be one.

+1

[Priggy Smalls]

Why was there a suspicion if the first place, that's the question you should be asking. The haters formed a concept without making an effort to understand where he's coming from so any kind of slip would be considered "VALIDATION". Granted, the rape case was a big slip but it wouldn't validate anything if the hatred wasn't already there. That initial hatred is why I believe Kobe is the most misunderstood.

You're reaching when you really don't need to be. Roethlisberger and Lawrence Taylor are currently being shunned in similar circumstances.

[Kayjay]

yeah, present day athletes have it peachy with the petty ''hatred' you see of them on internet forums and ****.

coaches and players, journeymen especially, from old times had it terrible. heck, it wasn't even that long ago. don nelson when he started out didn't believe in black head coaches.

[chubby_1_kenobi]

And for on the court/in the realm of the sport..he's always been perceived as the guy who broke up the Lakers first dynasty, with Shaq and Phil. He's the guy who held the Lakers hostage, and suffered with Smush Parker and Chris Mihm for a couple years or so. And then, when he did let PJ come back and said he wouldn't interfere, he demanded to be traded because Kupchak wouldn't trade Bynum for Jason Kidd. It was only six months after the Gasol deal that he was happy to be a Laker. Now everything's all peachy.

You know what else is peachy? The vindication he got or should be getting from the way Shaq burned bridges on every single team he left behind.

The trade demand was immature but you know what? At that time, he was the voice of the Lakers fans. All of us wanted Kupchack's head on a silver platter. Obviously Mitch did his thing and made us look like a bunch of morons for doubting him but that just goes to show that Kobe had the entire Lakers nations supporting what he said about management.

[RunMCR]

Personally, I think of all-time, Oscar Robertson's the most misunderstood player. I had a principal who used to live in LA, and once, when the Bucks came to town, he tried to get Robertson's autograph after a game. Robertson ignored my principal (then a kid) rather coldly. He said he didn't know why Robertson did it, "probably because he was a spoiled punk athlete" and, to be honest, in the context of the situation, it sounded like a race thing.

Robertson's history shows how race played a role in his life, and how it left a chip on his shoulder. I remember reading in Simmons's "Book of Basketball" that Robertson's never been a GM or coach, and he was only briefly a commentator. The reasoning is because too many people thought Robertson a jerk. But reading about his early life, he had reason to be one.

ok lebron. at least you didn't bring up slavery though so that's a start.

[chubby_1_kenobi]

Why was there a suspicion if the first place, that's the question you should be asking. The haters formed a concept without making an effort to understand where he's coming from so any kind of slip would be considered "VALIDATION". Granted, the rape case was a big slip but it wouldn't validate anything if the hatred wasn't already there. That initial hatred is why I believe Kobe is the most misunderstood.

You're reaching when you really don't need to be. Roethlisberger and Lawrence Taylor are currently being shunned in similar circumstances.

Sometimes you have to reach to understand.

[glowsticks]

Rodman

[Priggy Smalls]

Why was there a suspicion if the first place, that's the question you should be asking. The haters formed a concept without making an effort to understand where he's coming from so any kind of slip would be considered "VALIDATION". Granted, the rape case was a big slip but it wouldn't validate anything if the hatred wasn't already there. That initial hatred is why I believe Kobe is the most misunderstood.

You're reaching when you really don't need to be. Roethlisberger and Lawrence Taylor are currently being shunned in similar circumstances.

Sometimes you have to reach to understand.

And sometimes things are a lot simpler than you want to believe. Big Ben was almost universally loved and look at him now. Rape beefs are a big deal these days.

[chubby_1_kenobi]

And sometimes things are a lot simpler than you want to believe. Big Ben was almost universally loved and look at him now. Rape beefs are a big deal these days.

If Kobe was so simple, he wouldn't be the most polarizing figure in NBA. The fact remains, both of us have our opinion on Kobe Bryant and they're probably polar opposite to each other. That's anything but simple.