There aren’t many players that fans universally love throughout NBA history. Kobe Bryant has become one of those select few. However, that wasn’t always the case. Many fan bases hated Bryant, including his hometown team.
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Unlike players such as Bill Laimbeer, Draymond Green and Bruce Bowen, who have reputations as dirty players, Bryant didn’t receive hate for dirty antics. Rather, he received hate for his dominant skill set.
In 2002, the NBA All-Star Weekend took place in Philadelphia. Kobe couldn’t wait to play in front of his hometown as one of the league’s best players. Although he was returning home, it was also hostile territory.
A season earlier, Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the Sixers in the 2001 NBA Finals. Many of the fans in attendance for the 2002 All-Star Game hadn’t settled their grievances with Bryant. That didn’t stop him from winning MVP of the match.
Instead of celebrating Bryant’s 31 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, they rained down boos during his MVP trophy presentation. Baron Davis was among the players up close to experience the atmosphere.
“I think Kobe just used that for motivation,” Davis said on Podcast P. “We all knew Kobe was going to win MVP.”
Bryant was a stone-cold killer and quickly emerged as a superstar in the league. Davis was cool with the Lakers star, but it wasn’t just the fans who held some ill feelings toward Bryant.
“It was a lot of hate. You start seeing a hiearchy of cliques. If you watch not only was he getting booed, you see a lot of players usually huddle around but there was a lot of hate on Kobe,” Davis revealed.
If it was any other player that treatment from their peers would’ve certainly impacted them. Of course, Bryant took is as motivation. After winning the All-Star Game MVP in his hometown, he centered his focus back on winning another championship, which he did.
At the age of 23 he was already a three-time NBA champion. Despite all the hate that he may have received, nobody was touching his resume at the time. Bryant went onto win five NBA champions en route to a Hall-of-Fame career.
One thing Davis can hold onto is that he never had hate toward his contemporary and friend. “You seem me right there cause I f**k with Kobe,” Davis said. The Charlotte Hornets guard was right behind Bryant as he accepted his MVP trophy, smiling and clapping in celebration.
Following his unfortunate death, fans put their differences aside and remember Bryant for all his great work he contributed to the sport.
