Kobe or Lebron

[Amonkey]

I see a lot of threads talking smack about both Kobe and Lebron, which is completely understandable in a Celtics blog.  So my question, whichever way you would like to turn, is:

Who do you hate the most, Kobe or Lebron?

Note: there are different layers to this question.  You can describe your hatred as a person, a player or both.  Also, if you are a person that doesn't necessarily hate these players, you can also make arguments about one or them both or whatever.

I will go first.  I actually don't hate Kobe as a person in his later years.  At first, I had a lot of hatred towards his Lakers and all that drama that was going on.  I think he has matured since then.  There was an interview just a second ago that he seems more human.  As a player, I have always respected his game.  I feel like he has been a much more glorified Paul Pierce with a big man that got him those rings.  He always seems to be playing hard although getting frustrated when playing for bad teams.  I can respect the fact that he doesn't take games off.  I don't think he has ever been as good as MJ or any of the top 20 players.  His legacy will be somewhat of a blur of his individual skills because he had a big man to win him all those rings.  He is and has always been a heck of a scorer though.

Lebron James is an athletic monster.  I am not saying he's MJ now, but he is on the right track.  If he keeps it up, maintains the hunger and strive to become better, then he has everything to be one of the best ever.  However, that's a big if.  I think he thinks too much of himself when he's talking about "my" team, "my" this and that.  He's not mature enough and I think all that $$$ may get in the way of his hunger.  Right now he's dominating, but what happens when those athleticism starts declining.  Will he have the hunger and strive to improve his other areas and become the winners that others have done?  I don't know.

Now don't get me wrong, I wrote some good things about both players.  However, when the Celtics play against them, I will hate them with all my might and will nitpick every little thing to engulf that flame of hatred even more.

[Redz]

Kobe

[crownsy]

kobe, no question.

I don't like the way lebron is treated as a basketball player on the court (messiah factor)

I don't like the way Kobe goes about life on or off the court (no neeed to elaborate)

A does not equal B, and its not close.

[ACF]

Kobe. Nuff said.

[wdleehi]

I don't hate Lebron.  I just want to see the Celtics beat him.

[nickagneta]

I don't hate LeBron but I do detest his taste in baseball teams.

I don't hate LeBron as a player but I hate the hype and superstar treatment he gets on the court.

I hate Kobe(player and person) but I love the fact he's a Laker because it makes hating the Lakers that much more fun.

[guava_wrench]

I don't hate either, but I do wish great failure upon Kobe.

I have never seen anything in Lebron to make me want to root against him. He just seems like a guy who has given everything toward his development from a young age and he has been classy throughout his career.

[Bankshot]

I don't hate, but dislike them both about equal.  Can't stand either.

[Edgar]

kobe

[TatteredOnMySleeve]

Kobe

[steved24]

I'm wowing at most of your responses.

I actually really dig Lebron. He's wise beyond his years. Class act and respects players around him. He has great respect for Pierce and has even gone out and said that besides Kobe, Pierce has the best foot work in the league. Lebron in my eyes is better than Kobe. His explosivenes and brute strength driving to the cup is unmatched.

As for Kobe. I despise him. He's not even worth my time ranting about because I'm sure we all share the same feelings towards that rapist. One funny thing worth mentioning is that when I was watching the C's during the Finals at this Boston bar in LA (where I currently reside) we would chant "No Means No!" Every time he touched the ball 

[housecall]

from where i sit Kobe has been a punk most of his career on the otherhand Lebron hasn't shown signs of being a punk so far.Im going by Lebron length of time vs Kobe's younger years.Kobe supposededly has matured,grown as a person but i think once a punk,always one.

[Amonkey]

I'm wowing at most of your responses.

I actually really dig Lebron. He's wise beyond his years. Class act and respects players around him. He has great respect for Pierce and has even gone out and said that besides Kobe, Pierce has the best foot work in the league. Lebron in my eyes is better than Kobe. His explosivenes and brute strength driving to the cup is unmatched.

As for Kobe. I despise him. He's not even worth my time ranting about because I'm sure we all share the same feelings towards that rapist. One funny thing worth mentioning is that when I was watching the C's during the Finals at this Boston bar in LA (where I currently reside) we would chant "No Means No!" Every time he touched the ball 

I understand trying to stir things up with the whole rape thing and all, which was like Kidd and the wife beater.  There's nothing too personal when a player is playing against you.  But in reality, I feel a little disgusted when people use that to point the person's character as reality.  The guy was never proved guilty and we all have to understand that athletes do have a target in their heads, including females that want a piece of that dough.  I had a friend of mine that was wrongly accused of raping a girl and thankfully was dismissed, but all the problems and headaches that came with it was immense and the character defamation is hard to clear up.  I feel that being accused of raping is a very strong accusation, very much like accusing somebody of being racist.  It should be used wisely and have actual evidence to back it up, and the fact is he wasn't considered guilty.

However, all is fair and game when the Lakers are playing against us.

[crownsy]

I'm wowing at most of your responses.

I actually really dig Lebron. He's wise beyond his years. Class act and respects players around him. He has great respect for Pierce and has even gone out and said that besides Kobe, Pierce has the best foot work in the league. Lebron in my eyes is better than Kobe. His explosivenes and brute strength driving to the cup is unmatched.

As for Kobe. I despise him. He's not even worth my time ranting about because I'm sure we all share the same feelings towards that rapist. One funny thing worth mentioning is that when I was watching the C's during the Finals at this Boston bar in LA (where I currently reside) we would chant "No Means No!" Every time he touched the ball 

I understand trying to stir things up with the whole rape thing and all, which was like Kidd and the wife beater.  There's nothing too personal when a player is playing against you.  But in reality, I feel a little disgusted when people use that to point the person's character as reality.  The guy was never proved guilty and we all have to understand that athletes do have a target in their heads, including females that want a piece of that dough.  I had a friend of mine that was wrongly accused of raping a girl and thankfully was dismissed, but all the problems and headaches that came with it was immense and the character defamation is hard to clear up.  I feel that being accused of raping is a very strong accusation, very much like accusing somebody of being racist.  It should be used wisely and have actual evidence to back it up, and the fact is he wasn't considered guilty.

However, all is fair and game when the Lakers are playing against us.

normally I'd see your side, but its real hard to claim he was innocent when you pay someone hush money.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1033356,00.html

i mean, if he had a clear conscious in the incident, as he always claimed, you would think that he wouldn't need to buy her off with a settlement that included a non-discloser clause.

he always claimed it was 100% consensual and she was lying threw her teeth about everything else, so what did he have to lose by letting her talk/ going to trail? Instead he buys her off with (rumored, no one knows the exact figure thanks to the NDC) 5 million dollars?

and spare me the "well he didn't want to hurt his public image" that had already been shattered. He was scared he would lose.

He's a scum bag, pure and simple. There's been rumors he cheated on his wife for years (willing and not so much), He threw a young player to the wolves on a widely publicized YouTube vid (how soon we forget) and he's been a huge team cancer for most of his career, up to and including last summer.

I might dislike the preferential treatment lebron gets as the icon, but to my knowledge he hasn't done anything CLOSE to apporching the things kobe has done with regards to personal life or front office hijinks.

[TradeProposalDude]

LeBron James because of the undeserved star treatment he gets on the court. His physical abilities are unparalleled. But he gets ticky tacky fouls down the stretch going in his direction every game. And he's been way overhyped since entering the league. I can't stand him. At least Kobe has shown he can live up to the hype and perform without too much star treatment. He can also actually shoot a basketball from outside with some semblance of consistency.