Kobe was a Hollywood creation. It's perfectly fine to acknowledge the accidental death of nine people, including innocent children, as a tragedy while noting the Day of Mourning that seems to be sweeping the media is a gross overreaction. Kobe was no saint. For many of us, he wasn't even a cultural icon.
What Bryant
really was, was a genuinely great basketball player who would have become an icon of that sport no matter where he played in his prime; unlike my beloved baseball these years, the NBA seems to know how to promote its best players regardless of where their teams are based. He's a likely basketball Hall of Famer, too; as I understand that Hall's requirements, you're considered as a player after three years' retirement and with at least 50 determined win shares (according to
Basketball Reference). Bryant is eligible for the first time this year and, among the candidates who meet the criteria, he's third in win shares (172.7) behind Tim Duncan 206.4) and Kevin Garnett (191.4).
A great basketball player, and a flawed man.
But his youth (41) and his oldest daughter joining him in death in such an unexpected and grisly manner that probably did the most to make it such a day-long choke of grief for so many.
And we also know now that longtime Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli (four state titles and 700+ wins)
and his wife and his daughter also died in the helicopter crash.
