One thing that's hard to deny is Bryant's impact on the Lakers and basketball as a whole, but there are those who will go to great lengths to highlight Bryant's flaws, even though NBA history will eventually regard him as a legendary player.
It's one thing not to like a player but it's entirely something different to let your personal opinion skew how you view said player's performance on the court.
For instance, I'm not a big fan of LeBron James the person, but he is one of my favorite players because he is a special talent, and I'm more a fan of what players do on the court rather than off it.
But Bryant is not usually granted this same consideration, and when an individual's personal opinion of a player interferes with their basketball opinion, then they have usually entered the realm of hate.
Hate is a crazy thing, but it's easily recognizable and you can usually separate a hater by using simple common sense when regarding their response to your comments.
Bryant's detractors are easier to spot than most since their arguments usually go far beyond any rational thought. They tend to ignore the proof of evidence that exists right in their face.
During my time as a writer for Bleacher Report, I have encountered numerous Bryant haters masquerading as rational objectors, but they are always given away by the absurd premise of their arguments.
These next five slides are the most common ways to tell if a person doesn't like Bryant as a player or if they're just plain hating, and it's highly likely that you have heard some of these before. Please enjoy.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers