Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few days, you are aware of the deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and 7 others from a helicopter crash Sunday morning. Personally, this has been the most significant non-family member’s death of my lifetime. I live in Boston, which means Kobe has given me a fair share of heartbreak in my life as a Celtics fan. I hated facing Kobe, but nobody could deny that they were watching greatness each and every time Black Mamba took the court. He always laid it on the line and will be remembered for his greatness. Jordan, James, and Bryant are all legends that will be spoken in the conversation of the best to ever do it forever. How should we remember someone who was such an amazing human in so many aspects?
Ways to Honor Kobe
Since his tragic death, folks on social media and NBA analysts alike believe the NBA must do something to honor the great Kobe Bryant. I have heard so many different suggestions and agree that something must be done. Some suggestions I agree with, some I do not.
Solution 1: Retire Kobe’s Jersey(s) League-Wide
Each team retiring the number 24 would be very nice, but what about when Kobe wore 8? Will each team have to retire both if this action goes through? Only 2 players have their jersey numbers retired league-wide, Jackie Robinson and Wayne Gretzky. Most people know that Robinson’s 42 is retired league-wide because of his amazing legacy being the first black player in MLB history. On the other hand, Gretzky’s 99 was retired at the NHL All-Star Game in 2000 because he is known as the greatest hockey player of all time. I very much agree with Robinson’s being retired, but I am not so in love with Gretzky getting the honor. Much like with Kobe, I feel like they could have done something else to better honor Gretzky rather than retiring his number for every team. Bryant is certainly worthy of such action, but I do not believe that it is the best way to honor him.
Solution 2: NBA Logo
The NBA has toyed around with changing the logo for the past few years. Currently, Jerry West hoists the honor of being the silhouette in the NBA logo. And without any doubt, West would happily hand it over to Kobe. Kobe has had some iconic poses in his career meaning there are several potential logos for the Black Mamba. I would love for him to be the logo, but I still feel like there is more that can be done to better honor him. If my chosen solution happens and the NBA logo were to be Kobe, I would be incredibly fulfilled.
Best Solution: NBA All-Star Weekend => Kobe Bryant’s All-Star Weekend
I have thought long and hard about what I personally think Kobe Bryant deserves. After thinking about the previous two options, my conclusion was that Kobe Bryant deserves to have All-Star Weekend named after him for the rest of time. I didn’t just pull this idea out of my ass, but this is genuinely the most suitable way to honor the Black Mamba.
18 time All-Star
The most obvious reasoning behind this is the fact that Bryant had been an all-star 18 times in his career. Without context, this just seems like a ton of all-star games that maybe a bunch of players have achieved. In reality, 18 is the second most all-star games in NBA history only behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 19 appearances.
Played Entire Career in Los Angeles
Besides deserving credit for being one of the VERY few players to play with one team their entire career, LA has some significance. Everybody knows that Los Angeles is the city of stars. The biggest movie stars and musicians reside in LA, but Kobe managed to be the biggest star of all. All those celebrities sitting in the first rows at Staples Center were there to see Kobe and maybe be lucky enough to get a picture with him after the game. In the city of stars, Kobe shines brighter than the rest.
Kobe’s Immense Influence
All great players are remembered and spoken about. Not all great players influence the playstyle of generations to come. Much of today’s NBA mimics everything Kobe. Kyrie Irving displays the famous “Mamba Mentality”, aka the clutch gene of not giving a shit and doing anything to win. His leadership and poise are seen in the likes of Lebron James and Luka Doncic. The list goes on and on, but each player would feel a little more honored to play in the NBA All-Star Game if it is in Kobe’s honor.
Only Player in NBA History with 2 Jersey Numbers Retired on 1 Team
This point alone makes it such an easy transition into being “Kobe Bryant’s All-Star Weekend”. Now that it is no longer Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference, it would not make one of the teams more favored with the weekend being named in honor of a Western Conference player. One team wears 8, the other 24. It will simply be Team 8 versus Team 24 and we will still see scores soaring near 200 a team. This needs to happen!
Kobe’s Legacy
No matter what the NBA does, and even if they decide to do nothing (they’ll do something), Kobe will never be forgotten. Forget his 5 championships, MVP or any other accolades. Bryant was a father who loved his daughters and wife more than anything in this world. He devoted his entire life to basketball, and only recently was able to start his own life as a dad. He did not die as a basketball player. Kobe Bryant’s final moments were with his daughter being a father. Do not remember him for what he did, but rather who he was.
Rest in Peace: Kobe and Gianna Bryant, John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan
Brandon Black(Follow @bhblack02)