Am I the only non-LA fan who likes Kobe Bryant?

I never liked Kobe much in the day - back when he was winning titles and getting hype. I thought he was relatively unimpressive and uninspiring. There was no one aspect of his game that I could be inspired by. There was no Ben Wallace like defense/rebounding, no VC-like dunking, no ray allen-like shooting. He played for a too-hyped team in a fake marketplace. Then, it all changed. He had the whole Colorado thing going on. I firmly believe that Kobe was 100% innocent in that scenario, and the circumstantial evidence backs up that belief. Still, Kobe did admit adultery. I would never condone adultery, but I would never crucify someone for it. Indeed, he paid more pennance than most do for such an act.

In matters on the court, Phil Jackson - far from proven in my eyes, smears Kobe in his book. Racist jackass Shaq throws daggers at Kobe. The media condemned Kobe for shooting too much and passing too little. Kobe's stock was and is way way down.

Over the last year or two, however, I, and I suspect many others, have come to realize what a great player Kobe really is. He has shown no inkling of wanting to pad his stats at the expense of team goals. Whether its because he really wants to win or if its because he wants to look good (a la ARod), Kobe just has a drive to win. The team that Kobe leads now has absolutely no finishers on the offensive end. Parker, Mihm, George, et al are only complimentary players. Even Lamar Odom, their second best player, has no real post moves or offensive presence besides having decent to above average skills in several categories. That is why Kobe MUST shoot and continue to shoot for his team to have any chance. At the same time, he will make the pass to the open man if its there. He will play first team All-NBA level defense. He will take clutch shots and try to will his team to victory. Perhaps this 81 point game and a few more performances like that in Laker victories will open up people's eyes about Kobe.