Enough with the Kobe hagiography!

We saw him on TV at least once or twice a week for 20 years! Even as a non-Laker fan, his presence was ubiquitous.

I couldn't stand Kobe and his act. But his death affected even me in a visceral way. I was on a beach in Cozumel on vacation when I found out last year and had to rush back to my hotel room to call my pops to talk about it. My dad loved Kobe and was a big fan of LA (mostly to piss me off and troll me), and me hate-watching LA games with him was something we bonded over. And add to that the storylines behind his daughter and others who also passed in the crash, it was fairly traumatic.

I totally get the reaction one year later, but the birthday and 8/24 stuff, that definitely felt like overkill. No need to deify him. Guys who had no connection to Kobe at all kept posting stuff on IG as if he was a family member-- not sure I understand that.

 

Isn't Sekou Smith just as good a human being as Kobe? Who will be remembering him a year from now?

 

I think it is fine for fans to mourn the death of Kobe. The annoying part however comes from the fact that it is media-driven. Do you think if Kobe played for Portland there would be national attention on the 1 year anniversary? Will the media even mention Hank Aaron one year from now? Personally, there have been way too many deaths this year for me to mourn for Kobe more than any of the others.

 

There should be a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode about this. I'll be Larry David.

 

Cool

 

Kobe was 40, Hank Aaron 86. Kobe was with his young daughter.

 

Ugh. This is all so dumb. "My neighbor Brenda was a great person, why isnt she on the news?!" . This happened when John Lennon died, when Jimmy Dean died, when a famous person dies, this happens. Sekou Smith isnt a household name.

 

Yes, they both should be mourned.

It still comes down to one was a Laker and one was not. It still comes down to the media.
I live in LA and I see the hypocrisy every day with their heroes.

 

They do sir, you just don’t hear about it.

 

I dont live in LA, and Kobe dying hit me way harder than I ever imagined. My friends dont live in LA, and we still text about it -from NY, Boston. You live in LA, and (surprise) think that LA is the epicenter for everything, and while Kobe lived and played there, people are upset everywhere. They are putting up statues of him in Italy where he grew up.

Its absurd people cant see why this is the news story that it is. Kobe Bryant, 41, died in a helicopter crash, with his daughter and two other little girls, their parents, leaving behind two other daughters and his wife. It was a shocking and worldwide-felt tragedy. The guy who was the most famous basketball player on the planet not named Michael Jordan, a year removed from playing. Not five, twenty, forty years after his career ended, one year. But the coverage is too much for some people. It was one year ago.

 

Are you trying to defend it or just saying people are shallow?

 

Ask yourself, who are you mourning for? It ain't Kobe, because he's not suffering (unless you think he's in hell). Don't tell me it's his family, because you'd be lying. Basically you're mourning because a part of your past died. Focus on other things. You didn't know him.

 

Oh good, thats helpful. Next time we have any emotions we will be sure to run them past you first. Thank god you are here.

 

I am saying it is completely reasonable that on the 1 year anniversary of someone like Kobe suddenly dying there would be a lot of coverage/press/emotions about it, not just in LA but everywhere.

 

I guess I just don't remember it happening very often in the last 50 years, so I am asking myself....why him? So it leads me to think it is media-driven.