Tim Tebow Has More in Common with Kobe Bryant Than You Think

Update: Monday, January 9 at 2:30 p.m. EDT

Kobe isn't caught up in "Tebow-mania" according to his interview, but you can watch the funny footage of him saying Tim Tebow would tell people to "kiss his a--" if he were an "a------."

Kobe Bryant and Tim Tebow have a lot of similarities, despite what you might think just looking at them.

It’s obvious that Kobe is a tall NBA guard on the Los Angeles Lakers, and if you know a little bit about him, he’s perceived as a bit of an egotistical person who was involved with sexual assault allegations back in 2003 and is currently going through a divorce with his wife after allegedly cheating with multiple women.

On the other hand, Tebow is a stocky NFL quarterback for the Denver Broncos, and if you haven’t been under a rock for the past year, you know he’s a religious man that goes on missionary trips in the offseason, plans to remains a virgin until marriage and constantly thanks God for his accomplishments on the field.

What do they have in common?

They are two of the most highly criticized and polarizing figures in all of American sports.

Kobe acknowledged he had mutual respect for Tebow last night before his game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

According to Kevin Ding,

Tebow obviously isn’t an a------, and it would be highly unlikely to ever hear him say something like that, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he felt that way. However, he deals with it like a man and keeps his chin up, knowing those that matter have always supported him.

Kobe has had to deal with reporters and columnists constantly trashing him and praising him, depending on what he’s done for them recently, but has grinned and dealt with it throughout his career, doing his best to prove his doubters wrong on the court.

Tebow is now in the same boat as Kobe, receiving praise for winning games at the start of his career and becoming known for miraculous comebacks, but was rumored to be heading to the bench during the Steelers game if he slipped up as he had done to close the regular season out on a rocky note.

Obviously, he didn’t let it bother him and won the game in stunning fashion, proving all of his doubters wrong, as Kobe has done time and time again.