With one Instagram post, Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside might have become my favorite NBA player.
While a ton of players around the association sent out their heartfelt congratulations on Kobe Bryant announcing his retirement at the end of the season, the Miami Heat center did the same but did so in a hilarious way.
Thank you #kobe #koberetire pic.twitter.com/hu5KXVHiJt
— Hassan Whiteside (@youngwhiteside) November 30, 2015
Yes, Whiteside posted a picture of himself dunking with Kobe reacting nearby. To be fair, Kobe’s face is pretty damn funny in it.
Whiteside got a lot of heat on Twitter, with people saying he was throwing shade on the legend with his post. The 7-footer protected himself like he does the Heat in the paint, and responded with a meme.
When I see some fans say I disrespected one of my favorite players of all time #kobe pic.twitter.com/EXblxnJ7R8
— Hassan Whiteside (@youngwhiteside) November 30, 2015
It seems Whiteside was just having some fun, and not dumping on Kobe’s legacy. The 26-year-old clearly considers Bryant one of the greatest, as he polled his Twitter followers last year wondering if he was the second greatest player all-time behind Michael Jordan. He’s also deeply invested in his financial security.
https://twitter.com/youngwhiteside/status/150045321043517440
Never change, Hassan.
