Kobe Bryant is about as polarizing a figure as I've ever seen in sports. Kobe fans are all over the world and willing to defend his every action at the drop of a hat. If he shoots too much, there's a reason. If he had too many turnovers last night, there's a reason for that too. Kobe haters are just as quick to find reasons of their own. Hell, tearing down Kobe Bryant has become something of an art form at this point. Most complements of Kobe are either back-handed in some way or come with a comparison to some former great (mostly Jordan of course) that shows Kobe is inferior.
Here's a piece I wrote about how the Lakers can dig themselves out of their current situation. Obviously we all want to see them improve, but there are some rough waters ahead and some very critical decisions to make at the deadline and in the offseason.