That Gigi was on the helicopter with him has hit me like a ton of fucking bricks.
It is...This article is really, really good: Mourn Kobe Bryant or don't: but mourn the whole, flawed man
He was genuinely involved beyond just helping his daughter, and there are a thousands of female basketball players from grassroots to the highest levels of the WNBA that have been positively impacted by his involvement in their lives and careers. That's not a small feat.
This is a crushing day in the basketball world. Absolutely crushing. For Kobe to go like that is bad enough - but for his daughter to be with him? No words. Just incredible sadness.
It is...
I've wrestled with this myself over the past few days. Honestly Gigi passing away has been the more crushing aspect of all of this, for me at least. Kobe's death is shocking - Gigi's is utterly heartbreaking.
I don't think, as this article states, that his advocacy for female athletes and women's sports falls a mile short of redemption. It's an incredibly important thing, especially at a time where more and more girls are dropping out of sports at earlier ages.
He was genuinely involved beyond just helping his daughter, and there are a thousands of female basketball players from grassroots to the highest levels of the WNBA that have been positively impacted by his involvement in their lives and careers. That's not a small feat.
Redemption is not absolution.
He lived a better life from that point on and was a positive force for good off the court - but that doesn't forgive his acts from 2003. Only the victim can do that. But not everyone who commits a horrific act uses their second chance for good. He did.
I'm struggling to think of a celebrity death in my lifetime that had this widespread and intense of a reaction. Might have to go all the way back to Kurt Cobain.
Yeah, that was a big deal.
But Cobain's fans had only lived with him for 3-4 years at most. They saw a handful of videos, some interviews, a concert, etc.
Kobe played for almost 20 years, that's a lot of exposure.
Shaq's point about almost all the NBA greats still being alive was illuminating. All these guys get to meet and speak with their idols.
No future players are going to get the chance to do this with Kobe.
Bowie ?