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Kobe Bryant: Ultimate Villain Receiving A Hero’s Farewell

By Carter Johnson

Mar 23, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Lakers fan holds a poster of guard Kobe Bryant (24) as he walks by the crowd prior to the game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Lakers 119-107. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Lakers fan holds a poster of guard Kobe Bryant (24) as he walks by the crowd prior to the game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Lakers 119-107. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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For a player who may be the greatest villain in NBA history, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is receiving a hero’s farewell as the final game of his career nears.

With the end of a remarkable 20-year career for Kobe Bryant in sight, it seems that the hype and adulation surrounding the 37-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star is reaching a fever pitch.

Nike has essentially canonized the date of his final game, deeming it “Mamba Day” while rolling out gold plated shoes for its brand athletes to wear all week in various sporting events and putting together a video starring some of the world’s biggest sports stars in honor of Bryant.

The tickets for his final game are clocking in at prices ranging from $8,000 for third level seats to over $30,000 a pop for court side seats. Merchandising company AEG is selling an exclusive line of last game merchandise through Lakersstore.com, including a partnership with New Era Fitted Caps on a $38,024 black lambs-leather cap with his iconic No. 24 plated with 18-karat gold in the center of the brim.

Bryant himself has begun to participate in the fanfare, doing a commercial with Nike for fans in China and reliving some of his most memorable games on the website that bares his name.

This is the culmination of one of the biggest farewell tours in the history of sports, featuring Bryant turning the hands of time back night after night to the cheers of Lakers fans and haters alike in addition to signing memorabilia for iconic opponents.

It’s an interesting adieu to a player that was so hated by so many for so long.

Kobe Bryant
Oct 29, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) against the Phoenix Suns during the home opener at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Lakers 119-99. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

From being pitted against happy-go-lucky stars like Shaquille O’ Neal and LeBron James to ripping fans’ hearts out with gut-wrenching last second shots, Bryant was consistently the lone player that fans universally loved to hate throughout his career.

Fans of every team in the league have a memory of an epic Kobe Bryant performance against their beloved franchise, which helped to fuel the shared hatred among supporters of the other 29 teams in the association. To them, Bryant was the epitome of what was wrong with basketball: a selfish, cold ballhog who was equally venomous to teammates, opponents, media and fans. To some, he might be the greatest villain the game has ever seen.

Yet, in this sudden shift to universal adoration, a different narrative emerges — one that shows a level of deep respect forged from that same hatred.

At every away game, Bryant has been met with video tributes from everyone from former greats like Michael Jordan and Jerry West to current players.

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    • He has heard the chants of “KO-BE, KO-BE” ring out from Lakers fans and opposing fans alike, and they all ooh and aah in unison when Bryant heats up and goes on a run. In a way, it’s their weird method of conceding their secret admiration for him and admitting that they’re going to miss him.

    It’s truly an awe-inspiring sight that reveals just how tremendous of an impact Bryant has had on the league in the last two decades.

    The same players who once battled with Bryant for supremacy in this league sing his praises and have unofficially deemed him the Michael Jordan of the modern generation — and with five championships and countless mind-boggling individual performances, it’s hard to argue that anyone else is more worthy of the title.

    Regardless of where he ranks on your all-time list, very few players have been able to receive universal respect from those who love and hate him quite like Bryant has this season.

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    It’s truly a hero’s farewell for a legend who has long relished the role of being the league’s ultimate bad guy.

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