RIP Kobe Bryant (1978-2020)

This morning, a lazy, crazy bokura Sunday was interrupted with a tragic news report from the sensationalist internet tabloid TMZ that NBA super-duper-ooperstar and Academy Award winner Kobe Bryant had died in a fiery helicopter crash in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas. The sports world held their breath, hoping that the report was unsubstantiated and that Kobe wasn't actually on board the aircraft. Alas, more reputable news services came out that yes, Kobe Bryant was on the plane, and even more tragically he was accompanied by his 13-year-old daughter Gianna as well as another youth basketball player and their parent. All of them plus the pilot perished in the crash.

It was a devastating report for the tight-knit sports world, especially since the talented and charismatic Kobe had established himself as one of the few players that transcended the sport to make a distinct imprint on the public consciousness at large. I'm sure all Oscar buffs remember his road to the Academy Award in this very category back in 2017 for his short film Dear Basketball, one that made him the only Olympic medalist and NBA superstar to also win an Academy Award. He leaves behind an impressive albeit somewhat controversial legacy.



There is no denying Kobe Bryant's legacy within the basketball world. His 20-year career certainly ranks as one of the top in NBA history. His journey from Italy (where he spent his childhood as his father Joe was continuing his basketball career after Joe's NBA career ended at 29) to southwestern Pennsylvania (where he won a Naismith High School Player of the Year award in addition to other accolades) to the Los Angeles Lakers (where he made his NBA debut just two months after his 18th birthday) had been well documented, as had his myriad of accomplishments. He won five NBA titles, winning the Finals MVP awards in his final two in 2009* and 2010. He won an NBA MVP title in 2008, and his 81-point performance on January 22, 2006 was the second-most in a game of all time. His 33,643 points rank fourth of all time, and had held the third spot from December 14, 2014 to January 25, 2020 before LeBron James would pass him tragically one day before his death. Even though he ranks only fifth in points-per-game among all eight players in NBA/ABA history to reach 30,000 points, his abilities in big moments help cement his status as basketball royalty in death.

*I had written about Kobe's explosive 40-point performance in Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals during my exploration of the 10th anniversary of June 4, 2009** - the day of Randy Johnson's 300th Win.

**Kobe Bryant is only the second player in the four major sports who had played a game on the highest level on June 4, 2009 that has passed away. He joins Luis Valbuena (1985-2018) who had died in a car accident in his native country of Venezuela.

However, his exploits off the basketball court were more controversial, particularly the sexual assault case that had surrounded him from July 1, 2003 when he was accused of raping a 19-year-old employee in a Colorado spa where he was staying before surgery to March 2005 when a civil suit filed by the accuser was settled after the criminal case was dismissed due to the accuser being unwilling to testify. Even though Kobe was free to go about his career and reclaim the endorsements that had dropped him during the hubbub, many during the #MeToo era felt that Bryant had gotten away with traumatizing a young woman just because of his status as a star athlete. Like many cases involving sexual assault it is impossible to elucidate the truth, but there are many that still refuse to forgive him.

And even his brush with the Academy Award was not without controversy. A lot of it was directed at his involvement in the sexual assault case, but others felt that the attention being given to his film was unwarranted. While I had enjoyed Dear Basketball and had ranked it as the top nominee of that particular year in my review, others felt that it was too much of a hagiography. I will admit that much of what made it so memorable was Glen Keane's animation combined with John Williams's majestic score, but there's no denying that Kobe's passion was felt throughout the film's five minutes. He generated some more controversy when he was given an invitation to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science a few months after the win, prompting outcries that a basketball star with no other animation work had gotten an invitation just because of his Oscar win. His invitation was later rescinded for the same reason, but Kobe was reportedly ready to make more contributions to the film world.

At least he was, until this tragic accident cut short his life. No matter what you feel about Kobe Bryant, there is no denying that he had made an impact on the world (for better or for worse), and he would not be forgotten anytime soon.