When Kobe Bryant perished in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 at the age of 41, the basketball world erupted. Kobe was an inspiration, one of the greatest players ever. He bridged the gap from MJ to LeBron to become one of the most recognizable stars in America. Kobe was a basketball hero to many young players, and was the reason many played the game and loved it. Hell, we yelled his name after throwing crumpled papers into the recycling. We hated him for beating our teams, and we respected the hell out of him for doing it so consistently for so many years. He was, by all accounts, a basketball legend, and a man worthy of our love. A man that meant so much by a sport that means so much to so many people globally.
Kobe is remembered for all of these things, but is also known for being accused of raping a teenager who worked at a hotel. The only penalty he received was the loss of some lesser sponsorships (Nike, his most prominent one, merely suspended his shoe line). While Bryant settled for 2.5 million dollars, there is little doubt that he did the unforgivable. He was accused of committing one of the most heinous acts possible, and it seems the world just forgot it. When looking at his legacy, it is impossible to capture the full story without this event.
Bryant did a lot to try to redeem himself after the allegation. He became an ambassador for the game, a devoted husband, a doting father, and a strong WNBA supporter. He became the beloved figure that he was when he passed away. As such, there are two very divided sides with different opinions concerning Kobe. One side reveres him. These are the people who he inspired, the ones that didn’t understand the allegations against him, or believed he became better. The others revile him, call him a monster, and bristle at the sound of his name. These are people who don’t know the effect he had on basketball and the world, don’t understand how a mere basketball player could have had as big an impact as he did, or aren’t willing to let his actions after the allegations change or even factor into their perception of him.
Kobe was an amazing basketball player and did a lot for the sport and its players, and as someone who plays the sport myself, I can understand that. However, he is also an example of how fame and money are “get out of jail free cards” for people in this country. He was able to escape prosecution due to his financial resources because of a culture that is willing to forgive the rich and powerful simply because they are rich and powerful.
You can love him or you can hate him, and either side is understandable and valid. You also can’t hate the other side or judge them based on what they believe about Kobe. You can’t refuse to listen to them, and you can’t make personal attacks on them. This is a topic worthy of discussion, but it’s also one that you can’t answer no matter how deeply you dive into the ethics of the question. Did Kobe make up for being accused of one of the most awful crimes possible? Mourn Kobe Bryant or don’t, hate him or don’t, but either way, pushing your own opinion onto others and then hating them if they don’t agree with you doesn’t solve anything. Kobe Bryant left us all with a lot more questions than answers. Either way you feel about him, his death is a deep loss for the global basketball community, and he will be missed.