Timsup2nothin
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NBA legend, Lakers superstar, businessman, philanthropist, and all around good dude dies in helicopter crash. Will be missed by many.
RIP Kobe Bryant
- Thread starter Timsup2nothin
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RIP. I never watched his games, cause he was a star a couple of years after I stopped paying attention (he is/was one year older than me). According to those who kept paying attention, Kobe was one of the most (if not the most) skilled players ever.
It is ironic that only yesterday he was passed in the list of all time scorers (was #3, now #4) by Lebron James.
I think it is also tragic that he would have been in the HOF this year. Obviously he will be again, but posthumously.
And it seems that in that same helicopter crash one of his daughters also died. RIP.
It is ironic that only yesterday he was passed in the list of all time scorers (was #3, now #4) by Lebron James.
I think it is also tragic that he would have been in the HOF this year. Obviously he will be again, but posthumously.
And it seems that in that same helicopter crash one of his daughters also died. RIP.
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Narz
keeping it real
His last twitter post was congratulating LeBron James passing him on the scoring list. My friend really liked him & I watched a 45min interview of him once, sad situation, tragic for his family to lose him & his child on the same day. :/
Lexicus
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he was credibly accused of rape
stinkubus
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caketastydelish
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Was he proven guilty ?
The alleged victim refused to testify so the charges were dropped. And then he settled a civil suit with her out of court.
Many of the top NBA (or other) players do have personality flaws. I don't know much about Kobe (hadn't heard about the rape accusation), but he did push some other good players around (eg Lin, who got cheated by the NBA anyway). Jordan would be a more obvious example of someone who was acting horribly (and being cheap) to other good/great players.
Anyway, NBA is another microcosm. Kobe was one of the top 10 players of all time (?), but inevitably this untimely death will not be discussed for much longer than the pending HOF ceremony. Life does go on (I recall that three people killed themselves when Cobain died, but that was a somewhat different dynamic - let alone that Cobain killed himself, unlike Kobe, or Epstein).
Anyway, NBA is another microcosm. Kobe was one of the top 10 players of all time (?), but inevitably this untimely death will not be discussed for much longer than the pending HOF ceremony. Life does go on (I recall that three people killed themselves when Cobain died, but that was a somewhat different dynamic - let alone that Cobain killed himself, unlike Kobe, or Epstein).
amadeus
Apply directly to the forehead
I'm pretty detached from basketball, so at first I saw a headline along the lines of "Basketball Star Dies in Helicopter Crash" and thought it would be someone I wouldn't be able to recognize. Kobe Bryant was probably one of five NBA players I could name from memory, if that many. So that said, my respects to him for being truly one of the greats in his field and condolences to his loved ones.
civvver
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It's very sad indeed. Puts things in perspective where a guy with all the fame and money in the world, someone who looks like he bested his personal demons and now had a happy home life, still died young. It can all end in an instant and all his wealth and fame in the end wasn't that important.
It raises two questions for me though. One is would you rather be like Kobe, have tons of money and fame and a career doing something you love that you excel at only to have it all cut short, but at the same time he probably died quickly without even knowing they were crashing according to the reports. So fantastic life cut short, but not like a drawn out terrible death like cancer or something.
Or be a normal average first world country citizen, have to work til your 65, live in a small apartment, struggle to get by sometimes, but you get to live til you're 90 and see your great grandkids. I don't know which I would want. Probably to live the longer life.
And the other question I get thinking about is, what about the other people on the plane? We all jump to mourn Kobe, which makes sense for the celebs that knew him. But outside their families no one really gives two poops about the other people who died. It reminds me of the people who all died tragically in the ukraine airline crash in Iran. Most people don't give them a second thought. But as soon as a famous person we love died, twitter explodes with sadness. I'm not saying it's wrong necessarily- we have to somewhat distance ourselves emotionally from all the issues in the world or you'd go mad cus there is death and suffering every day and lots that you can do nothing about. It's just interesting to me.
It just seems like some kid is going to grow up as the kid who's dad died on Kobe's helicopter. And people will go oh wow you knew Kobe? Instead of oh wow I'm so sorry for your loss.
It raises two questions for me though. One is would you rather be like Kobe, have tons of money and fame and a career doing something you love that you excel at only to have it all cut short, but at the same time he probably died quickly without even knowing they were crashing according to the reports. So fantastic life cut short, but not like a drawn out terrible death like cancer or something.
Or be a normal average first world country citizen, have to work til your 65, live in a small apartment, struggle to get by sometimes, but you get to live til you're 90 and see your great grandkids. I don't know which I would want. Probably to live the longer life.
And the other question I get thinking about is, what about the other people on the plane? We all jump to mourn Kobe, which makes sense for the celebs that knew him. But outside their families no one really gives two poops about the other people who died. It reminds me of the people who all died tragically in the ukraine airline crash in Iran. Most people don't give them a second thought. But as soon as a famous person we love died, twitter explodes with sadness. I'm not saying it's wrong necessarily- we have to somewhat distance ourselves emotionally from all the issues in the world or you'd go mad cus there is death and suffering every day and lots that you can do nothing about. It's just interesting to me.
It just seems like some kid is going to grow up as the kid who's dad died on Kobe's helicopter. And people will go oh wow you knew Kobe? Instead of oh wow I'm so sorry for your loss.
That's been my main thought. Yes, Kobe was one of the best athletes in the world. But I've read where people say they can't stop crying, they're heartbroken. He was a superstar athlete, but pretty much an average human being, near as I can tell. He cheated on his wife at least once, he was a jerk to his teammates particularly early on, and yes he's done what most other star athletes have done and created a charity foundation. Laudable, but a reasonable way to give back when one is banking as many millions as he was.
civvver
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I understand for the people who knew him personally. But I don't think I would ever cry or be heartbroken over someone dying that I didn't know personally. It sucks if they are workign on something you enjoy. Like the guy who originally played Spartacus in the series, Andy Whitfield, he died of lukemia and they had to recast and it sucked for watchers, but not as much as if they hadn't even finished it. Like when Len Bias OD'd back in the day, it sucks cus he could've transformed your team. Still, I wouldn't be that torn up over it as it's not a personal loss.
I can't think of any celebrity whose death would make me cry either. They are cool, but they aren't someone objectively close to you.
BenitoChavez
What business is it of yours?
When someone passes away, the feeling of sadness and loss people feel depends on how close they were to the person. A family member passing away tends to be harder than a coworker passing away. Coworkers are harder than strangers. For celebrities, there is kind of a one way relationship with the public. We see their faces, hear their voices, see interviews they give, get small bits of information about their personality and life through the media. Fans feel like they know them on some level. There is still some emotional connection there. People like Kobe, he's been in the public eye for 20+ years and he's one of the best ever to do what he does. That gets him a lot of fans who cared about him, a lot of whom have some emotional investment in him. Plus the fact he dies at only 41 years old along with his daughter and several other people just heightens the tragedy.
I started following the NBA in the early 2000s when the Kobe-Shaq Lakers were winning their championships. I became a fan in large part because of Kobe. I'm not devastated or anything but I shed a tear or two for him.
