Los Angeles Lakers

Watch Kobe tell fans in China to hate him in epic new Nike spot

Published Apr. 8, 2016 12:28 p.m. ET

Brett Pollakoff

Kobe Bryant has legions of fans in the United States, but in China, he is treated like a god.

It makes sense, then, that Nike would create a farewell commercial for Bryant aimed specifically at his loving fans overseas, and the result was this fantastic spot where Bryant explains why he should be hated instead.

Bryant is of course one of the game's all-time greats, but there's no denying that he's also been one of the most polarizing athletes of his generation. He's embraced that fact with a Hero/Villain theme, one that Nike too has deemed fit to roll out.

A generation of raising banners /
A generation of breaking hearts#MambaDay 4.13 pic.twitter.com/DSt8y1rrhG
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) April 7, 2016