Over the course of his career Kobe Bryant has been a player I’ve loved to hate, but over the past few seasons I’ve found it harder and harder not root for him. Despite having issues with a high school player demanding a trade on draft night, loathing a confidence that borders on arrogance and a general disdain for his legal issues off the court, over the course of the past few seasons I haven’t been able to shake the fact that he’s the best player in the NBA. In fact, he’s become one of the few players I’ll watch a game just to see him play.

I’ve tried to fight the truth, but if I’m being honest there isn’t a player in the NBA I’d prefer to watch play.

While I’ve refrained from jumping on the Bryant bandwagon, today’s the perfect chance to show some respect and to let readers of Hoops Addict know about a great idea the Matt at Hardwood Paroxysm had. Countless other writers and bloggers have jumped on board with this idea, including a lot of popular blogs (True Hoop, AOL Fanhouse, Forum Blue And Gold) and some mainstream media outlets as well (NBA.com, Kobe’s own site, Slam Magazine). It’s amazing the kind of support Hardwood Paroxysm has garnered. Regardless of whether you’re a fan of Bryant’s or not, I’d recommend you click the link to check out the outpouring of support that has been drummed up for Bryant today.

So, as much as it chagrins me to say this, Happy Kobe Bryant Blog Day.

As a quick side note, did anyone else notice that KBBD comes on the day Bryant’s team faces the Raptors, the team he scored 81 points against two seasons back? Something tells me tonight could be a rough night for the Raptors.