One of the most polarizing NBA players during his career, Kobe Bryant inspired fiercely loyal fans.
However, his time in the NBA was not bump-free, who's is? There some controversial moments on and off the court that fans must know. Take a look!
Kobe appeared in a Black Ops commercial along with Jimmy Kimmel and some other fans of the game. Although it was a harmless promotion, some fans targeted Bryant for promoting violence and trivializing war. Crazy!
Credit: Youtube/Pulp Vision
Kobe's first All-Star game was a great moment in the NBA's history. The mild controversy was the Bryant was taking the second most shots and trying to go toe-to-toe with MJ, which everyone thought would be his final All-Star game. He was way too focused on taking out Jordan than a star-struck rookie than differing to his teammates.
Credit: Youtube/Ivan KyzMang
This commercial was quite hilarious but the backlash wasn't. Members of the Armenian community in LA cried foul because they had a problem with Kobe supporting anything related to Turkey because of a feud that dates back centuries, which has been dubbed as a three-year genocide at the hands of the Turkish govt.
Credit: Youtube/ALATURKA TV
One of the most heartbreaking defeats the Lakers had to face, They botched their 3-1 lead against the Phoenix Suns, and it was infamous for Kobe "taking the ball and going home" moment of only taking three shots in the second half. People accused him for quitting on the team and being unable to be a leader.
Credit: Youtube/LotharofHillpeople3
First the Lakers had to lose to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals, then Shaquille O'Neal and Derek Fisher were traded. This was the first time the hometown saw Kobe as a villain because it seemed like he was at fault for ending a dynasty because of his rift with Shaq. It took years before he could put an end to this blame.
Credit: Youtube/TheKobeChannel
