Editor's (and writer's) note: This was written prior to the recent allegations against Kobe. If he is indeed guilty of rape, this list becomes invalid. I'm a huge Kobe fan and I hope he isn't guitly, but if he did indeed rape the young lady, you can hate on him all you like.
(added 10/9/03)

Reasons People Bash Kobe:

1.         He patterns his game after Michael Jordan. 

It's kind of like those whores in LA Confidential that were made up to look like famous stars.  Sure they were really hot and I don't know many dudes who would turn them down, but they still weren't the real thing.  Besides, Jordan is sort of the basketball Jesus, and as we know, no one replaces the messiah.

2.         He skipped college. 

At the time Kobe came out of high school in 1996, only a handful of guys had successfully made the jump to the NBA and the jury was still out on Kevin Garnett.  In our current society, going to college is like getting your drivers license.  Most of the people writing and talking about him on the radio attended college themselves.

3.         He plays on the Lakers

How can this go against him you ask?  The Lakers are the dominant team in the land right now, making them easy targets, especially the stars.  They have won 3 straight championships and media people still find it necessary to bash the dynamic duo, especially Kobe.

4.         He's not media friendly

He's not Barry Bonds either.  He kind of reminds me of Tiger Woods in this respect.  They both play the game with the media, but they are not media personalities like Sammy Sosa or Shaq.  Michael Jordan was kind of like this too from what I remember.  He would give you some good interviews and he wasn't a jerk, but he had more important things to do, like win 6 championships.

5.         His coaches rag on him

Since his coaches rag on him, it gives the media a blank check.  This actually plays into Phil Jackson and his coaching staff's hands.  They like to use the media (as most coaches do) to send a message to their players.

6.         He's only 24 and wildly successful (in the sports world)

Reasons Why You Shouldn't Hate Kobe

1.         He's immensely talented

It's not like Kobe is some scrub player who is trying to rack up points to make a big paycheck.  He is among the best scorers, is an NBA all-first team defender, and is a pretty decent ball handler to boot.  He ran off a string of triple-doubles earlier in the season showing that he can bang with the big boys on the inside.  The dude can create his own shot.  There aren't many players in the NBA with the array of skills that Kobe has in his arsenal.  It's kind of like a hot chick that has a brain and a good personality.  It just doesn't happen that often.

2.         He's a good guy

With the sports section in the newspaper resembling the police logs in the local section, it's refreshing to see a guy at the top of his game stay out of trouble and keep his nose clean.  You don't hear many bad things about Kobe.  He hasn't pulled a gun on his wife (Allen Iverson), slept with a ton chicks while forgetting to strap on some protection (Shawn Kemp), or been accused of perjury in a federal investigation (Chris Webber).  Kobe just goes out and leaves everything on the court, all the while winning three championships.

3.         He's a hard worker

Kobe looks at the off season as a time for him to get better.  For the most part, his stats have improved every year he has played in the league.  This year he is averaging nearly 31 points a game, 6.3 assists, and 7 rebounds a game, all career highs (see his stats here).  With the numbers he has put up during the championship run, it would be easy for him to be complacent and be satisfied with what he has done, but he continues to work hard and become a better player. 

4.         He's a team player

I must be crazy to put this one on here, but I'm going to do it anyways.  Like all great athletes, he plays through pain because his team needs him.  He has deferred to Shaq (sometimes he does forget though) because Shaq is the focal point of the offense.  During the title run, Kobe has been the best actor in a supporting role, even though he has the talent to step up to the best actor category.  He might win the award this year though.

5.         He keeps his mouth shut and plays

Lastly, he shrugs off the criticism he takes on a regular basis from the media and just goes out and plays.  There aren't many quotes coming from Kobe complaining about him not being the first option or his coach's using the media to motivate him.  He just plays ball and wins championships.  What's not to like about this?

I'm sure you can make up you own mind whether the bashing is fair or not.  It seems unjust to me to bash this guy for all the reasons above.  If your going to hate on someone, at least make it somebody that deserves the criticism (see Barry Bonds).  The reasons why people "hate on him" seem to be silly and not judged on his character and the way he plays.  If you judge him solely on these criteria (character, talent, and accomplishments), there really isn't a reason to bash him.  You don't have to embrace him, but at the very least, respect him.