Dont drink from the Kobe Haterade

Mr. Bryant won co-MVP honors with Shaq last night during the NBA All-Star game in which the West battered the East 146-119 and after watching one of the awkwardest sideline interviews in television with the Diesel and Kobe Bryant where the big guy basically said he's not going to talk about his friendship with Kobe, for a second there I actually felt sorry for him.

While they were interviewing Shaq, Kobe was sitting right next to him and said absolutely nothing. When they asked Shaq who should be the MVP this season if both were in the running, Kobe pointed towards Shaq. Shaq, obviously pissed that the sideline reporter kept probing him with questions about his friendship with the Lakers' superstar and the past between them basically said "I'm happy to be here."

Had it been Dwight Howard doing all the pointing in the obvious politically correct move, there probably would have been a feel good column about how much respect he has for Shaq and blah, blah, blah, blah. But instead, it's Kobe, so we'll probably just find some sort of insult to throw his way.

Kobe is one of those guys that is about as polarizing as you can get. I can understand how people find him smug, ball-hogging and generally unlike-able. Some guys just have this aura about them and he definitely fits the bill for that.

But one gets me is the people that deny that he's a great player. It's like denying that the sun rises every morning or that CSI:Miami is a bad show.

I know all you former high school athletes out there don't like the way Kobe carries himself on the court, even though you probably did the same smug thing when you were lighting up the West Pioneer League 1B Circuit. But hey, had you made it to the NBA you would have been all smiles and giggles.

Sorry, Kobe Bryant is a great player, probably top 20. Regardless of how he is as a person, his stats and performances always seem to back that up.

81 points in one game? 60 points in Madison Square Garden. It seems that he's almost getting better with age and nobody - especially the NBA player that just got elbowed in the eye on the drive to basket - will complain about his competitiveness.

Now all you Kobe-haters out there will say that he doesn't care about the team, and only looks out for himself. Wrong. Just slightly.

He wants to win. Plain and simple. That's why he always wants to take the shot at the end of the game (What? Pau Gasol isn't exactly "Mr. Clutch") and if his teammates are having a particularly terrible showing, he'll clam up and turn into Madonna when everyone made fun of her religion. Not because he's worried about his own stats, but because he wants to win the game and feels that his teammates aren't backing him up.

And it's selfish, because everyone is going to have bad nights, even the Lakers, but don't say he's just looking out for himself. He's not the first player to have this attitude on all levels.

So if you hate him, fine, but don't talk NBA out of your butt and tell me he's not a good player. Then you're just being ignorant and probably should just go back to writing "talking points" for the Bill O'Reilly Show.

And just for the record. I can't stand Kobe Bryant off the court. But hey, I can respect his game.