"Love me or hate me, it's one or the other. Always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons." - Kobe Bryant

Few athletes in the history of sports have been vilified as Kobe Bryant has. Throughout his career he's been labeled as arrogant, self centered, aloof, a ball hog more focused on individual accolades than team success, and a rapist.

If you are a Kobe fan than you likely believe him to be not guilty of the sexual assault accusations, you do not blame him for Shaq's departure from the Lakers, and you view his trade demands and lambasting of the Los Angeles Lakers over the off-season as justified. If you abhor Kobe than you more than likely feel he was responsible for Shaq's departure and all of the turmoil before and after Shaq's exit. His trade demands this past summer further proving his self-centeredness and lack of loyalty.

"It's one or the other."

No one besides Kobe and his accuser know what happened in that Eagle, Colorado hotel room. No one. One can study the supposed physical evidence tell blue in the face but it does not prove guilt or innocence. The fact of the matter is that the case never went to trial. It never went to trial because of the scrutiny into his accuser's personal life and the lack of physical evidence needed to prove guilt without reasonable doubt. It is wrong to presume guilt without due process.

After struggling to earn a 7th seed in last year's playoffs and being eliminated by the Phoenix Suns for the second straight season, Kobe implored the Lakers to "do something, and do it now." Shortly thereafter, a Los Angeles Times columnist quoted a Lakers "insider" as saying it was Bryant's insistence on getting away from O'Neal that prompted his trade to Miami. Bryant, infuriated at the report and feeling as if he had been misled about the Lakers apparent long-term plan to rebuild, demanded a trade.

"They said nothing to me about a long-term plan. Absolutely nothing," Bryant told KLAC. "They told Phil one thing and they told me another. Actions speak louder than words."

"Dr. Buss promised me he would rebuild right away, and I believed him," Bryant wrote. "That is why I put my trust in the Lakers."

Kobe continued to bash the Lakers over the off-season, going as far as calling Jerry Buss an "idiot" and the Lakers front office a "mess."

Should Bryant have publicly criticized the Laker front office and called Jerry Buss an idiot? No. Have many of us criticized our employers, called our bosses unflattering names to friends and co-workers, and thought we would be better off elsewhere? Yes. The NBA is a business like any other.

Bryant also defended himself against accusations that he forced Shaq out of LA: "The fact of the matter is that many people don't know what really went down when I was approaching free agency because I have stayed quiet about it this whole time," Bryant said. "The real facts are that Dr. Buss requested a meeting with me during the '04 season long before I opted out of my contract, and he told me he had already decided not to extend Shaq, as he was concerned about Shaq's age, fitness and contract demands. Dr. Buss made it clear that his decision was final, his mind was made up, and no matter what I decided to do with free agency, he was still going to move Shaq."

In a surprising turn of events Shaq said that he believed Bryant "100 percent."

"There is no doubt in my mind Kobe is telling the truth," O'Neal added.

Could Bryant have convinced Dr. Buss to retain Shaq? Yes. Should he have? No.

The Lakers may have won one more championship if Shaq had remained in LA (as the Miami Heat did) but they would be in the same position as the Miami Heat are in now. Miami was swept in the first round of the 2006-2007 playoffs and own an NBA worst 11-51 record. The Lakers made the right choice in looking to the future and attempting to put the right pieces around Kobe once he entered his prime. Up until this season, they hadn't followed through on that choice with continued sound decision making. Bryant may have wanted to be "the man" but he never asked to be surrounded by the likes of Smush Parker and Kwame Brown. He didn't ask for it and he didn't deserve it.

Many comparisons have been made between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. I think there are more parallels than most would consider. Jordan and Bryant share similar basketball skills and while I don't think anyone will ever approach MJ's intensity or drive, Kobe is the only player who has come close. MJ was a fierce competitor whose goal was not only to become the best player he could be, but to become the greatest player who ever played. Kobe has the same goal.

Neither MJ nor Kobe has ever been labeled as "fun" to play with. MJ rode his teammates relentlessly in practice and in games so that they would adhere to his standard of excellence. His intensity once resulted in a punch to Steve Kerr's eye and the departure of Horace Grant to Orlando. Jordan, like Bryant also received more than his fair share of criticism for dominating the basketball and not being a "team player" early in his career. Even Chicago's last three championships were a result of MJ averaging around 26 shot attempts per game and shooting below 50%.

Imagine Michael Jordan having been drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers instead of Bryant. Regardless of whether you believe they belong in the same company when comparing basketball skill, realize that they share the same competitive drive. I find it very difficult to envisioning a young, tongue wagging Jordan (the same one who averaged 37 points early in his career) taking a backseat to Shaq any easier or longer than Kobe did. Jordan would never have sat back and watched Shaquille coast through regular seasons without feeling a need to take over and an overwhelming desire to show the world his skills.

Imagine Jordan being forced to endure first round exits in the prime of his career. As great as MJ was, one player can only do so much. Jordan was BLESSED to play with Scottie Pippen and an assortment of veterans who knew their roles and played them to a T. If you think MJ could win titles surrounded by the likes of Kobe's supporting cast the past three years, you're sorely mistaken.

MJ would never been content with anything other than a championship supporting cast. Jordan absolutely could not stand to lose or fail, Kobe is the same way. The very thing that drives great players like Jordan and Bryant can also be to their detriment. They have enormous egos, are in love with their abilities, have unrattling confidence that they will succeed in any endeavor, and will take a backseat to no one.

Would MJ have gone about voicing his displeasure in the manner that Bryant did? Probably not for fear that his immaculate image would be tarnished and he wouldn't sell as many Air Jordans, but then again, he never had to. Jordan hated Chicago's General Manager Jerry Krause and by association the Bulls owner, Jerry Reinsdorf. The only thing that kept things together in Chicago was the fact that Krause put together a supporting cast that Jordan could not have won without.

Before this season, Kobe's critics claimed he was incapable of making his teammates better and he was only concerned with winning scoring titles and other individuals accolades. This season, those critics are being proven wrong. Kobe Bryant is a winner. He'll do whatever it takes to win. With the Lakers having lost seven games in a row and in danger of missing the playoffs last season, Kobe scored 65 to lead LA to an overtime victory over Portland. Kobe would go on to AVERAGE 53.7 ppg over the next five games, all wins. As for the making his teammates better accusations, how much better could Kwame Brown and Smush Parker have been?

This season, the Los Angeles Lakers have finally delivered on their promise to surround Kobe with a championship contending team. He has responded with an MVP caliber year and done anything and everything necessary to lead the Lakers to a Western Conference best 44-19 record. Gone are the 50 point games, not because he's incapable of producing them, but because they aren't necessary to win.

Kobe Bryant doesn't play for scoring titles, he plays for NBA championships. It's easy to be amazed at that five game 50-point stretch last season but I don't think anyone realizes the type of commitment that it takes to achieve that level of basketball mastery. Now imagine working that HARD year in and year out, only to be rewarded with an inept supporting cast and an early exit out of the playoffs.

It's impossible to absolve Kobe of all responsibility in the drama that has enveloped the Los Angeles Lakers over the past 4 years. It is possible to note the factors that led to his behavior. Up until this season, the Lakers had FAILED MISERABLY at building around him. Lamar Odom was never a legitimate second option and the trade of Caron Butler for Kwame Brown was a travesty. Key free agent opportunities (Baron Davis, Carlos Boozer) had come and gone.

Bryant knows that NBA championships won with him as "the man" are the only way to distinguish himself as worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as MJ. This isn't a man who plays for celebrity or a paycheck. Kobe Bryant plays for legacy, a legacy that he hopes is culminated with him being crowned the greatest player ever.

Kobe's career will never be as picture perfect as MJ's was. From the feuds with Shaquille, to the sexual assault allegation, to the trade demands, it's been one tumultuous turn after another over the past decade. I hope that this season marks an end to the turmoil and Kobe achieves some sense of basketball peace.

I don't agree with everything that Bryant has done throughout his career. But I do believe that many of the mistakes he has made result from his desire to win and leave a lasting legacy. I respect his commitment to the game. I love that Kobe fears no one and no thing on the basketball court and he truly strives and puts in the work necessary to become the game's greatest player. I admire the fact that he doesn't shy away from speaking his mind and hasn't created a false image. For better or worse, what you see is what you get, take it or leave it, this is Kobe Bryant.

One can choose to perceive Kobe as a self centered, egotistical individual with no sense of loyalty. I, and many others choose to view him as a player who has made his fair share of mistakes but also as someone trying desperately to become the best basketball player he can be; the greatest player who has ever played.

"It's one or the other."

- Please feel free to contact me via e-mail (foxblogs24@hotmail.com) with comments or questions.