Kobe Bryant Dies in Helicopter Crash

[Rockstar Matt]

9 minutes ago, dont care said:

I don’t think that’s the way to go. Kobe loved basketball. I believe he would have wanted the games to be played today in remembrance of him and not cancelled out of grief.

Agreed that’s what Kobe would have wanted, but seeing how players and coaches alike are reacting? 
 

They should have cancelled them. 
 

Doc Rivers’ interview was heartbreaking. 

[habsfan1]

1 hour ago, CS85 said:

My god.  I hope their deaths were without suffering.

 

I wish I could say it was. But it was a helicopter crash. I've seen what could happen.

 

I'm just gonna second what you've said. I hope so too.

[habsfan1]

His last IG post was 18 hours ago.

[goalieboy82]

16 minutes ago, Around the Horn said:

These players are in no mental state to be playing tonight...

Kyrie Irving straight up left MSG when he heard the news and players are breaking down in tears during the games.

at this point, i say they shouldn't (even if they do, it would be very hard on the player if they are breaking down).

[Ridleylash]

There's very few players that can say they transcend sports and become icons of a generation, I feel, and Kobe was among that very few. His raw talent inspired loads of people to take up basketball, and he will always be one of the most iconic players in the sport.

 

I wouldn't be shocked at all if his number is retired league-wide. I'm at least confident the Lakers will absolutely retire Kobe's number.

[GDAWG]

 

[JG36]

Kobe was more than a basketball legend. He was more than a cultural icon. He was more than an academy award winner. He was more than a businessman. 
 

He was a father. A husband. A human.

 

This is a sad day for not just the basketball world but for even more than that. He inspired so many and made do many lives better. He will be missed. 

[dont care]

7 minutes ago, Ridleylash said:

There's very few players that can say they transcend sports and become icons of a generation, I feel, and Kobe was among that very few. His raw talent inspired loads of people to take up basketball, and he will always be one of the most iconic players in the sport.

 

I wouldn't be shocked at all if his number is retired league-wide. I'm at least confident the Lakers will absolutely retire Kobe's number.

It already is by the Lakers, both 8 and 24. 

[GDAWG]

 

[BBTV]

It's hard to fault the NBA for moving forward with the games - it's a lot to process in a short amount of time, and the hurdles of rescheduling an entire slate of games - both financially and logistically - can't be understated.  However, expecting either the players or the fans to be into it is unreasonable.  As a fan, I'd feel odd having beers and cheering/yelling while everyone is in mourning, and as a player, I probably wouldn't be able to get into the right mindset to compete at the level an NBA player needs to.

 

The NBA should have closed for the day, Lower Merion High School should close for a couple of days, and the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera should retire room 35 in tribute.

[AustinFromBoston]

Has any sport ever cancelled a full day because a player died? 

They didn't cancel games for McNair, or Dale Earnhardt.

Isaiah Thomas played after his sister died. 

 

Kobe would want 100% want them to play. 

[SFGiants58]

Just now, BringBackTheVet said:

The NBA should have closed for the day, Lower Merion High School should close for a couple of days, and the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera should retire room 35 in tribute.

 

With the bolded point, I hope that it's not swept under the rug as we honor Kobe's life. While his guilt isn't as concrete as Snuka or OJ, it's still a darker part of his legacy and shouldn't be ignored.

 

Kobe was indeed a basketball legend, one of the greatest to ever play. He was amazing as a father, a businessman, and as a media personality. But let's also not forget the darker parts of his past.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

1 hour ago, sc49erfan15 said:

For Millennials, this is one of the more impactful celebrity deaths of our lifetime.

 

It's certainly one of the "I'll remember where I was when I heard" deaths, along with Princess Diana and Michael Jackson.

 

My older brother (he's also 41) said this is the biggest celebrity death of our lives. I immediately thought of Princess Di too, but I was a kid when that happened. Kobe Bryant has been in my life in one way or another since I was 15. That includes high school, his great N64 games, the assault scandal, his Lakers/Clippers/Bulls/Pistons scandal, the titles with Shaq, the titles with Pau, the orignally-mocked-but-then-beloved "Mamba" nickname, 81 points, 60 points, yelling "Kobe!" when shooting anything into any receptacle, and constant top 5, top 10 lists.

 

Kobe was an integral part of the culture for 25 years. American sports and culture are different (and worse) without Kobe Bryant. A lot of players are called icons, but very few meet that criteria. Kobe was there all the way.

 

Better days:

 

 

[dfwabel]

8 minutes ago, AustinFomBoston said:

Has any sport ever cancelled a full day because a player died? 

They didn't cancel games for McNair, or Dale Earnhardt.

Isaiah Thomas played after his sister died. 

 

Kobe would want 100% want them to play. 

Royal Spanish Football Federation did last June.

The Isle of Man motorcycle races canceled a day during their meet on the same week.

[DEAD!]

8 minutes ago, SFGiants58 said:

 

With the bolded point, I hope that it's not swept under the rug as we honor Kobe's life. While his guilt isn't as concrete as Snuka or OJ, it's still a darker part of his legacy and shouldn't be ignored.

 

Kobe was indeed a basketball legend, one of the greatest to ever play. He was amazing as a father, a businessman, and as a media personality. But let's also not forget the darker parts of his past.

We shouldn't forget our "heroes" are also flawed. That should the most important lesson about Kobe.

[DCarp1231]

A lot of 8 second and 24 second violations flowing through games today.

 

Trae Young of the Hawks is wearing 8 as opposed to his normal 11

[Lights Out]

16 minutes ago, SFGiants58 said:

 

With the bolded point, I hope that it's not swept under the rug as we honor Kobe's life. While his guilt isn't as concrete as Snuka or OJ, it's still a darker part of his legacy and shouldn't be ignored.

 

Kobe was indeed a basketball legend, one of the greatest to ever play. He was amazing as a father, a businessman, and as a media personality. But let's also not forget the darker parts of his past.

 

Sure, but today isn't the time or place to dwell on those. Unfortunately, I've seen people (even reporters) bringing up the scandal on social media to get attention today.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

15 minutes ago, SFGiants58 said:

 

With the bolded point, I hope that it's not swept under the rug as we honor Kobe's life. While his guilt isn't as concrete as Snuka or OJ, it's still a darker part of his legacy and shouldn't be ignored.

 

Kobe was indeed a basketball legend, one of the greatest to ever play. He was amazing as a father, a businessman, and as a media personality. But let's also not forget the darker parts of his past.

 

I think a lot about that. I used to tell people Kobe was trash, the Lakers are garbage for sticking by him, and no one should ever root for him again.

 

One the one hand, Kobe was never convicted of anything and the matter was settled satisfactorily between all involved parties, so do we really need to have an opinion? On the other, rich people get away with :censored: they otherwise shouldn't. And on the third hand, can we expect rehabilitation; can people not be forgiven per se, but accepted for the damage they've done and the commitment they showed to be better? I don't know. Kobe's legacy prompts complicated questions.

 

I'll be honest; it's still tough to accept it actually happened and he's actually gone. Today's a rough one.

[BBTV]

The closest thing I can remember to this was when Magic Johnson announced he had HIV, and the world went into mourning like he had died... and then it just kinda went away.  

 

Charles Barkley changed his number to (the already retired) 32 for the year.

[BBTV]

1 minute ago, DG_Now said:

 

I think a lot about that. I used to tell people Kobe was trash, the Lakers are garbage for sticking by him, and no one should ever root for him again.

 

One the one hand, Kobe was never convicted of anything and the matter was settled satisfactorily between all involved parties, so do we really need to have an opinion? On the other, rich people get away with they otherwise shouldn't. And on the third hand, can we expect rehabilitation; can people not be forgiven per se, but accepted for the damage they've done and the commitment they showed to be better? I don't know. Kobe's legacy prompts complicated questions.

 

I'll be honest; it's still tough to accept it actually happened and he's actually gone. Today's a rough one.

 

Well he did apologize to her and admit that his behavior may not have been in line and he understands how she may have felt it wasn't consensual (there's also the matter of his wife and kids that he embarrassed.)  

 

You are correct about the rehabilitation aspect of life, and you never heard anything negative about him since.  But on a day where the world is honoring a "great husband, father, man", it's important to not get out of hand with it and make him a deity and role model for kids to follow.  Unfortunately.. there are no role models in the world of sports.