And if Laker star wins his fourth title, it will only increase the animosity
The chants in Denver last round weren't just filled with passion and resolve but also with hate.
Understandable, given the sexual assault charges Kobe Bryant faced in Colorado in 2003-04.
Without question the events in the nearby town of Eagle have had the greatest impact on a reputation that has been alternately battered and polished, both beyond belief.
But this also is a player who for years has been booed in Philadelphia, not far from where he attended high school.
This also is a player who inspired a haters clubs on the Internet.
This also is a player who once was profiled under the headline "On the Pleasure of Hating Kobe Bryant."
To summarize, Bryant can be viewed as an arrogant, coddled, selfish, disconnected, joyless, ungrateful phony who also very publicly committed adultery.
He once scored 81 points in a game, too, so of course the fans wearing the other jerseys aren't going to like him.
Bryant's clumsy position in basketball lore, however, is better summed up by a single quote, a quote we all have heard.
"I'm a Lakers fan but not a Kobe fan."
You have heard that one, right? From a friend? A co-worker? A spouse? From yourself, perhaps?
Now try to imagine someone in the 1980s saying they were a Lakers fan but not a Magic Johnson fan. The idea is beyond absurd. Consider a person in Boston saying, "I'm a Celtics fan but not a Bird fan." Ridiculous.
Bryant again is on the verge of bringing a championship to the Southland, a championship that would be wrapped in a parade, a lovefest featuring a hero's decoration and an adoring region of fans chanting its devotion to Bryant.
And mixed in that crowd would be people who despise the guy, the one person most responsible for the celebration happening in the first place.
These aren't Yankees fans growing weary of Alex Rodriguez. These aren't 76ers fans waving goodbye to Allen Iverson. These aren't Packers fans adjusting their feelings on Brett Favre.
These are Lakers fans feeling disgust, not just toward one of their own, but toward the biggest of one of their own, a player who never has belonged to anyone but them.
Nothing short of bizarre, this awkward relationship between Bryant and the rest of Lakers world.
Is he a cold, calculating basketball killer or just cold and calculating? Is he the best player since Michael Jordan or just the greatest impersonator of Michael Jordan? Is he the game's most intense competitor or just someone too focused to realize he's being seen as a jerk?
In these NBA Finals, Bryant will face the Orlando Magic, whose Kobe Bryant is named Dwight Howard. Howard smiles a lot and laughs on the court, his attitude considered spontaneous.
He likes to think of himself as being "Superman," adopting the persona of a colorful character out of a kid's comic book.
Bryant prefers the nickname "Black Mamba," likening himself to one of the most feared and deadly snakes on the planet.
For all the things Bryant excels at — basketball, winning, last-second guts — he has failed miserably as an author of his own legend. At times, he seems determined to provide reasons to be disliked.
Jordan was famous for wagging his tongue while making moves. What's Bryant's most recognizable facial expression? That angry glare he shoots at teammates.
Jordan used to grin and shrug at his own brilliance. Bryant mostly scowls and belittles those who can't guard him, meaning pretty much the entire league.
Jordan was viewed as creative, an authentic first. Bryant typically is viewed as a sequel, unable to match the original.
Here's how much the rest of basketball respected Jordan's career: An opponent retired his jersey.
The Miami Heat did so in 2003, a stunning tribute orchestrated by Pat Riley, a man whose bid for more NBA titles was ruined specifically by Jordan.
Could you picture the Utah Jazz retiring Bryant's jersey? The only way the Phoenix Suns would hang a Lakers No. 8 or No. 24 from the rafters is if Bryant were still wearing the thing.
A lot of this is Bryant's own doing, but he hasn't been helped by the timing of his existence. Not long ago, it was much easier to be a myth.
If Jordan were playing today, maybe we'd know more about his gambling. Maybe someone would use their cell phone to shoot video of him blowing through millions.
If Magic Johnson were playing today, maybe we'd see bootleg video of him "making it rain." Or how about video of Larry Bird tipping cows or whatever partying hicks do?
Bryant's jersey is again the No. 1 seller in the NBA. He routinely spends time with less fortunate kids whose only wish in life is to meet him.
Seeing the reaction to Bryant last summer at the Beijing Olympics was startling, a city of nearly 17 million people stopping as one to gawk.
Back home, he could be a champion again as soon as next week, giving Lakers fans everything they want.
To all, another title. To some, another reason to dislike him even more.