VIDEO: Kobe uses old mascot video to illustrate how he reacts to critics

It's easy to tell it's the dog days of the NBA offseason when active players start tweeting GIFs to respond to perceived haters.

Kobe Bryant, who has spent the last several months building a reputation as a social media legend to accompany his NBA resume, retweeted an eight-month old GIF on Monday.

Not only is the GIF eight months old, but it includes a video from more than two years ago, when Bryant didn't react at all to Milwaukee Bucks mascot Bango trying to scare him (Bryant's appearance is at the 1:05 mark):

This is digging pretty deep into the archives to make a point, but the Los Angeles Lakers superstar clearly has memes on deck, always at the ready.

As for to whom he's referring, with Bryant it could always just be critics in general, but it may be in response to recent comments from Charles Barkley that Bryant should retire after 2015-16. In any case, Bryant isn't biting on any salvo from the haters.