Has There Ever Been an Athelete More Torn-Down Than Kobe Bryant?

This article is written as a reaction to an ESPN article by 'TrueHoop' writer Henry Abbott entitled 'Kobe Bryant's Best All-Time Dunks.' If you care to read the article simply click the link, but I can spare you the trouble and summarize it as being yet another 'Kobe is selfish' hate- piece which breaks down the newest NBA.com compilation video of Kobe's best dunks. The article is a true piece of work, and could only be considered a Kobe bash, no if's, and's or but's. Here is a collection of Kobe's best dunks, some of his greatest & most notable ones ever, and Abbott latches onto it and decides to spew hate down from his obviously-troubled mind.

Let me start by commenting that this Kobe rip-job is conspicuously timed, only days after Michael Jordan was enshrined into the NBA Hall of Fame. Is this only mere coincidence? I think not, I believe that Henry Abbott watched Jordan's speech and probably thought to himself, 'how can I prop Michael up some more after his less-than-impressive speech (in which he calls out Bryon Russell). Ahhh, I can write an article to tear-down Kobe so that people will less consider him to be on the heels of MJ in terms of greatness!' I can strongly imagine that something similar to that was going thru Abbott's mind. It seems that Mr. Abbott decided to look around for something recent posted on Kobe that he could then subvert and use as a vehicle to criticize him, tear him down and rip him. The NBA.com compilation video was it.

One notable moment during Michael Jordan's HOF inauguration speech might have also fueled the fire for this article. It was when Michael tells of a story one time in Chicago where the Bulls were losing late in the game, so he took over the last minutes of the game and the Bulls ended up winning. On his way off the court the irrepressible Tex Winter tells him, 'there is no 'I' in team,' to which MJ responds, 'but there is an 'I' in 'win'. Here is MJ basically telling the world that he would do WHATEVER it would take to win a game, dominate possession, play outside the offense - ANYTHING! Where was Abbott's article on THAT statement by the one and only Michael Jordan? Perhaps this is what also helped Henry Abbott decide to rip Kobe, he had to try to show Kobe is selfish and MJ looks to 'win', something clearly ANYONE can see can be easily reversed, Kobe looks to 'win' and MJ is selfish. Abbott had to make the distinction here and now that Kobe is 'selfish.' That he does.

In his article Abbott uses the classic 'I love this, but' type arguement. He states a Brian Shaw assisted dunk by Kobe is one of his favorite all-time by anyone, then he comments, 'But allow me a moment to also totally miss the point of the whole video'. Yes, he did totally miss the point of this video, that was his intention.

He goes on to point out that Kobe passed up an easier shot over Tim Duncan, instead slammed it in his face. Oh, what a selfish play! On another play during a Suns-Lakers playoff game Kobe decided to essentially leap over Steve Nash instead of passing to a wide-open Kwame Brown 'who could not be more alone under the hoop.' On this particular play Kobe lays down a statement dunk, makes a tremendous basket, draws a foul on Steve Nash and is criticized for not passing to KWAME BROWN?!?!??? Kwame freakin' Brown?!?!??? Oh wait, yes, this is the hate piece that Abbott is writing, so let's just assume that Kwame could actually have MADE the basket if the ball were passed to him! Not that there was a REASON WHY the Suns were leaving Kwame Brown wide open under the basket, I mean his hands of stone and the bricks he shot notwithstanding, he is perfect to point out that Kobe made a SELFISH play! Yes, here is Kobe skying over Steve Nash, one of the closest NBA dunks ever to Vince Carter's infamous dunk over that one guy in the Olympics. But yes, Abbott cleverly points out that Kobe is showing us his selfish side not passing to hands-of-stone Kwame! Abbott trumps up Kwame being wide open SIMPLY to use it as another way to bash Kobe with!

Henry Abbott though is trying to do a more sinister deed however than simply bash Kobe down. He is trying to associate some of Kobe's greatest moments to displays of selfishness so that whenever we see some of these famous plays on replays and best-of compilations, we will forever say to ourselves 'oh yeah, that is the play that Kwame Brown is wide open and Kobe selfishly posterizes Steve Nash!'. In other words, he is trying to complete distort and blemish some of Kobe's greatest plays! It is naive to think otherwise. This is what is absolutely sickening about what dear ol' Henry Abbott is doing, ESPN should really be ashamed for allowing this vicious, hate-filled writing to be in any way associated with their name - shame on them!

Henry Abbott could have easily added that 'so and so play was made his rookie year,' etc... and explained that recently Kobe truly has been good at incorporating his teammates, staying within the offense, not playing selfishly basically. Even those that dislike Kobe for whatever reason can acknowledge that. But Abbott does none of that, THIS is what reveals this article for what it is, a hatchet-job with the one true intention of marring Kobe Bryant and his legacy. The fact that Kobe took an injury-riddled team to the NBA finals in '08, went almost straight to the Olympics and helped Team USA do what it hadn't been able to do recently and win a gold medal, forgoing necessary surgery to play in the Olympics on a finger of his shooting hand that had a ligament TOTALLY DETACHED FROM THE BONE, playing an entire season that way and this time leading the Lakers to the CHAMPIONSHIP. Nope that doesn't help when writing a Kobe-bash, does it? No way you throw in that Kobe most recently had almost twice as many assists as any other player during the NBA Finals, heck no, can't include something along those lines, no way!

Just one other angle, it is possible that Henry Abbott did this to help with his job security. He could have written this piece simply to get ratings, the ESPN board has had over 1000 comments on it in a day. Could it be that Abbott simply wrote this to troll for web-hits? Possibly, but that is absolutely despicable if he did. Perhaps what little of his reputation he may have had did not mean much compared to ratings gains, I mean why let reputable writing or integrity get in the way of notoriety, right? If ESPN wanted some buzz and publicity as the oncoming NBA season approaches, well they got it even though it is hardly a good type of buzz. What does it matter though when ratings are king, right?

I just leave with this, has there EVER been an athlete at the top of their sport more torn-down than Kobe? I think not...