Bashing Kobe Bryant's Game Or Legacy Will Not Make Your Favorite Player Better

Most NBA fans generally agree that Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade are the league's top players, however their order has been the subject of countless articles and opinions.

There will never be a clear consensus on who the game's top player really is, nevertheless fans of each player have resorted to a politician's ruse in order to prove their point.

Just check the political climate today.

A major national election is quickly approaching and the airwaves are filled with numerous ads that choose to disparage political rivals, rather than tout a particular candidate's policies and ideas.

Instead of offering solid reasons as to why one candidate may be a better choice, the debate usually devolves into mud-slinging and smear campaigns that keep the public uninformed about the real issues.

In the NBA, the game may be different but many of the tactics are the same, and I'm not entirely surprised to find that Bryant often finds himself on the receiving end of the majority of fan bashing.

Bryant is the object of disdain for numerous fans but at least the ones unaffiliated with either James or Wade are honest.

Non-James or Wade fans that hate Bryant are still perceptive enough to understand what his talent has meant to the game in general, and even though they may not like him, they respect his legacy.

On the other hand, some fans of Wade and James show no such respect and their blind allegiance has led to the practice of relentlessly bashing Bryant in hopes of making their favorite player look better.

In a manner that rivals political sensationalism, some fans have even resorted to statements and theories that are so ridiculous it's hard to really take them seriously.

For instance, there are many observers who think Bryant is grossly overrated, and they are correct, because few of our heroes on the basketball court really fit that description in real life.

But, as far as overrated pertains to the game of basketball it's hard to make that claim about Bryant with a straight face when considering his career accomplishments.

Is it even possible to mention overrated and Bryant in the same sentence in the face of more than 25,000 career points scored and five NBA championships?

No player is perfect, and with scrutiny it's easy to find flaws in any player's game, but there are few players in the league who have succeeded at every level of the game in the same fashion as Bryant.

Those are decent arguments, but they relate more to Bryant's legacy, which detractors are quick to point out have no bearing on his status as a top player today.

But in all honesty, which player between Bryant, James, and Wade most recently added another chapter to their still-evolving legacy, while increasing their image as one of the game's top players as well?

People like to speak of Bryant in the past tense, and although we live in an instant gratification society, it's hard to get more recent than Bryant's championship and Finals' MVP award of 2010.

I could say the feat is even more amazing considering Bryant played the majority of the season with a broken finger, and the postseason with a gimpy knee, but some will even find fault in that.

The fact that Bryant is still viewed as the NBA's top player by a majority of general managers and coaches usually means little to his detractors, although it is ironic that in most cases Bryant is their favorite team's favorite player.

The funny thing is, all of the above-mentioned arguments could be used to fashion a reasonable debate in Bryant's favor, and not once did the need to disparage James or Wade arise.

It really is possible to show favor towards one player while refraining from bashing another.

When a person chooses to praise one player by denigrating their rival not only does their argument lose credibility, it usually means the rival already occupies the space in question.

I'm sure cries of "Kobe-homer" or "Lakers' homer" will line the comment section of this article, and I'm fine with that, because I feel honest in my assessment.

Besides, there are a lot worse things that I can think of being called as opposed to a Kobe or Lakers' homer, and an NBA politician is one of them.