This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Kobe Bryant's run against the Jazz is almost complete.

All the questions about his career, about his greatness as a player, are more than answered. He's one of the best players, one of the most unique competitors, the world has ever seen. He's one of the most formidable opponents the Jazz have ever faced.

There's only one question left: How will Jazz fans react to him now?

This is supposed to be a farewell tour. But …

At every turn in the past, perhaps more than any other visitor, they've booed him with all the nasty energy they could muster. In the sports partisan-version of the word, they've hated the man. There was a time when the mere mention of the name Kobe Bryant around here was like rolling a grenade across the floor. The negative emotion was explosive.

Have the detonations calmed now that it's time to say goodbye?

Kobe plays — if he's healthy enough — here, along with the Lakers, on Saturday night, and perhaps on L.A.'s final scheduled date in Utah in late March. His career has lasted long enough against the Jazz for him to have played them in the Delta Center, EnergySolutions Arena, and now Vivint Smart Home Arena. That's three building titles he's played through.

And speaking of titles … well, he's gotten five NBA championships, some of them coming straight through Utah, directly at the Jazz's expense. Everybody around here remembers those three consecutive playoff matchups with the Lakers in 2008, 2009 and 2010, when Kobe eliminated the Jazz, 4-2, 4-1, 4-zip.

In that 2010 sweep, Kobe donned his Kobe-face, that smug expression that made Jazz fans crazy, as he scored 30-plus points in every game, summarily blocking the Jazz from advancing. At one juncture in that series, during a 35-point special by Kobe, the loathing from the crowd was so strong it seemed the only thing that would have soothed it was if Bryant had broken both legs on a dunk attempt. It was that thick.

The postseason prior, Kobe had beaten the Jazz with a memorable 38-point performance — with 24 of those coming in the first half alone — at ESA. That game was indicative of his career, considering he took every kind of shot imaginable — squibbers, floaters, jumpers, flippers, bankers — most of them with ridiculously high degrees of difficulty. Afterward, Jazz guard Kyle Korver simply called Bryant's display, "amazing."

Jerry Sloan put it like this: "Kobe Bryant was spectacular."

Kobe agreed, saying: "This is exactly what I had in mind. I wanted to come out and be more aggressive. It makes it easy for my teammates to gain confidence."

Confidence that they couldn't lose with him on the floor.

It hadn't hurt the Lakers' confidence during the regular season in 2008 when Bryant led them to a win over the Jazz at ESA, snapping what had been a tie for the Jazz's longest home winning streak at 19 straight. Kobe had 27 that night, hitting key jumpers down the stretch. What had spiced that outcome even more were Bryant's comments earlier in the day, calling Jazz fans "disrespectful" and "ignorant" over their rugged treatment of former Jazz player Derek Fisher, who earlier bailed on his contract in Utah to go back to L.A., the previous time the Lakers played in Salt Lake.

"We take pride in everything," Kobe said, "whether it's winning a game or ending a streak."

There was a short slump, exemplified on the occasion in 2004 when Bryant showed up with his Lakers, having helped turn them into a shell of their former World Champion selves, Shaq essentially having been forced out by Kobe. On that night at ESA, Bryant scored 38 points, but the Lakers lost anyway, 104-78. He got his shots, but no victory. The losing wouldn't last.

The Jazz managed to defeat Bryant in the playoffs in his first two seasons in the NBA, the Jazz's glory years, in 1997 and 1998, when they made it to the Finals. That might have been the best basketball the Jazz have ever played, especially the second time around, when they swept the Lakers en route to their rematch with the Bulls. Kobe was young then, but there were glimpses of the basketball greatness that would come in waves later.

One thing is certain: Even though his remarkable performances often came at the detriment of the Jazz, Bryant was and remains an unforgettable talent. Father Time is undefeated. Kobe's on his last legs now. But maybe that makes sending him off with a show of respect a little easier. Maybe, at the end, for the first time ever, an entire home crowd at the Jazz's arena — whatever its name — will stand and applaud a player it used to think it hated.

GORDON MONSON hosts "The Big Show" with Spence Checketts weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on 97.5 FM and 1280 AM The Zone. Twitter: @GordonMonson.