Kobe is in many ways the stereotypical representation of what a lot of people think American athletics has become (fairly or not).
Supremely talented and athletic. Arrogant and self-promoting (remember his rap album??). Consumed by materialism and making money. A winner. A bad teammate. Scandal-ridden (particularly when the scandal involves sexual violence). Big city, bright lights, takes a helicopter to work. Traditional "alpha compe or."
It's one of the reasons I love Tim Duncan and other members of the Spurs, past and present. They are so much of what athletics could be, and for me, should be.