RIP Kobe

Drcats2025

Heisman
Nov 13, 2012
7,934
15,737
93
I'm wondering if Big Ben would get the same treatment as Kobe regarding past indiscretions? His accomplishments are much more visible and his presence on the court was undeniable. But, his views toward women like that just don't all of a sudden appear. I hate that he died along with his daughter and he did die young, but to glorify it like this makes it appear that all the other stuff was just brushed under the rug and forgotten is so much disrespect to women all over. Just my opinion on the matter.
This post sucks. Just my opinion on the matter.
 

Mike-D

Heisman
Jul 14, 2001
49,979
74,007
113
I'm wondering if Big Ben would get the same treatment as Kobe regarding past indiscretions? His accomplishments are much more visible and his presence on the court was undeniable. But, his views toward women like that just don't all of a sudden appear. I hate that he died along with his daughter and he did die young, but to glorify it like this makes it appear that all the other stuff was just brushed under the rug and forgotten is so much disrespect to women all over. Just my opinion on the matter.

Shut the **** up
 
Jan 29, 2003
18,120
12,185
0
Lol. That's your opinion and you're in the minority. You're probably the only person in the world who thinks that.
First place I looked:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankalltime/greatest-players-ever

1. Jordan
3. LeBron
4. Magic
6. Bird
12. Kobe

Jordan is generally considered the greatest ever, the current argument is whether LeBron will claim that mantle, and many such opinions have Bird and Magic top 5 all time. That's all I meant. My use of the word "tier" probably makes it sound like something I'm not trying to say. Kobe isn't usually in any such top 5, he's typically top 10 or maybe even, like here with ESPN, lower than that. I'm not saying he's way down the list or anything.....
 

UKUGA

Heisman
Jan 26, 2007
18,505
26,810
0
I feel so bad for his wife.

The daughters death is being overshadowed by the loss of Kobe. But probably not to her.

She has to be suffering immensely, and preparing to bury a child.

Such a sordid array of emotions that go with this.

Kobe is my age. I've followed pretty much every one of his public moves.

I usually deal with death just fine. I've accepted it as a reality of life. This one bothered me today. The timing. The way I found out. The fact that it's in season and we are seeing all these coaches, players, and announcers crying and trying to come up with something to say.

Also, Kobe had transitioned to retire so well. He was such an odd guy who grew up before our eyes.

In retirement, he was very comfortable with who he was. He loved his life. He loved being a husband and a father.

He didn't seek the spotlight. But people were constantly seeking him out for his views.

And then this. And with his kid on board.

His poor wife and especially the oldest daughter.

He used to talk about how she wasn't an athlete. Accordingly, she's alive today because she wasn't on that helicopter going to play basketball. But her sister, the athlete, the mini-Kobe, was with him.

There is some symmetry there. But it is a sick symmetry that makes me want to cry.
 

420grover

All-American
Mar 26, 2006
7,703
7,860
0
First place I looked:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/nbarankalltime/greatest-players-ever

1. Jordan
3. LeBron
4. Magic
6. Bird
12. Kobe

Jordan is generally considered the greatest ever, the current argument is whether LeBron will claim that mantle, and many such opinions have Bird and Magic top 5 all time. That's all I meant. My use of the word "tier" probably makes it sound like something I'm not trying to say. Kobe isn't usually in any such top 5, he's typically top 10 or maybe even, like here with ESPN, lower than that. I'm not saying he's way down the list or anything.....
Fair enough. I'd put him above Bird and Larry Legend is my favorite player ever.
 

CatOfDaVille

All-American
Mar 30, 2007
6,173
8,100
0
RIP with your beautiful daughter Kobe. :pray:

Damn. I've read this entire thread, but this is the post that choked me up.

My daughter is turning 12 this year, so this hits close to home. I can't imagine my wife's grief, and I'm tearing up just thinking about it.

Damn, man. Prayers to Kobe's family. Absolutely tragic.
 

SophiesDad

Heisman
Mar 23, 2018
6,384
20,886
0
Damn. I've read this entire thread, but this is the post that choked me up.

My daughter is turning 12 this year, so this hits close to home. I can't imagine my wife's grief, and I'm tearing up just thinking about it.

Damn, man. Prayers to Kobe's family. Absolutely tragic.
Same here man. I have a 3 yr old daughter and that pic got me. We never know when our time will come. Have to cherish every moment with our loved ones.
 
Mar 23, 2012
23,493
6,068
0
When the guy that (tragically) dies is more well known and better than your logo then you at least think about it.
Sure but a rush to judgement like got to do it no questions asked isn’t how a business as big as the NBA is conducts business in regards to branding.
 

Nubb16

Heisman
Jun 30, 2005
128,716
10,042
67
Just driving around, listening to this culture. I found myself thinking, if the death of Kobe is getting this kind of reaction, what in the world will happen when Jordan dies? But then, I figure at least some of the intense reaction to Kobe's death has to do with his age - at 41, still a relatively young man. That's part of the shock. Jordan is closing in on 60, by contrast.

Part of this seems like an over-reaction. As a culture, we over-react to everything. Something doesn't just make you mad, it makes you OUTRAGED!!! You don't simply disagree - if you don't hold the right opinion, then you are a blankety blank and I hope you die in a fire. etc. Kobe was a really, really good basketball player, but really no more than that, and even as that, he's not quite on the Jordan/Magic/Bird/LeBron level, he's a tier below. Part of it is media market - just like you wonder how big Jordan's star might have been had he played in Portland rather than Chicago, so too Kobe being in Tinseltown added to his image.

a tier below [laughing]
 
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Jan 10, 2015
18,700
31,311
62
I feel so bad for his wife.

The daughters death is being overshadowed by the loss of Kobe. But probably not to her.

She has to be suffering immensely, and preparing to bury a child.

Such a sordid array of emotions that go with this.

Kobe is my age. I've followed pretty much every one of his public moves.

I usually deal with death just fine. I've accepted it as a reality of life. This one bothered me today. The timing. The way I found out. The fact that it's in season and we are seeing all these coaches, players, and announcers crying and trying to come up with something to say.

Also, Kobe had transitioned to retire so well. He was such an odd guy who grew up before our eyes.

In retirement, he was very comfortable with who he was. He loved his life. He loved being a husband and a father.

He didn't seek the spotlight. But people were constantly seeking him out for his views.

And then this. And with his kid on board.

His poor wife and especially the oldest daughter.

He used to talk about how she wasn't an athlete. Accordingly, she's alive today because she wasn't on that helicopter going to play basketball. But her sister, the athlete, the mini-Kobe, was with him.

There is some symmetry there. But it is a sick symmetry that makes me want to cry.
This right here same age also!
 
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Aike

Heisman
Mar 17, 2002
75,405
46,213
90
Just driving around, listening to this culture. I found myself thinking, if the death of Kobe is getting this kind of reaction, what in the world will happen when Jordan dies? But then, I figure at least some of the intense reaction to Kobe's death has to do with his age - at 41, still a relatively young man. That's part of the shock. Jordan is closing in on 60, by contrast.

Part of this seems like an over-reaction. As a culture, we over-react to everything. Something doesn't just make you mad, it makes you OUTRAGED!!! You don't simply disagree - if you don't hold the right opinion, then you are a blankety blank and I hope you die in a fire. etc. Kobe was a really, really good basketball player, but really no more than that, and even as that, he's not quite on the Jordan/Magic/Bird/LeBron level, he's a tier below. Part of it is media market - just like you wonder how big Jordan's star might have been had he played in Portland rather than Chicago, so too Kobe being in Tinseltown added to his image.

There isn’t a hair’s difference in the ability levels of all 5 of those, and all were the ultimate competitors and champions. Just something for fans and media to argue about.

Kobe was the only one cut down in his prime, and arguably the biggest global star of the bunch. The reaction shouldn’t be surprising. This is Elvis level stuff.
 

Jazzycat

All-Conference
May 23, 2002
16,087
4,682
113
Prayers for the Bryant family during this time of loss. Losing a husband tragically is one thing. Losing a child in addition is incredibly heart breaking and unimaginable. A family lost two of its loved ones today. Bringing up sexual abuse allegations on the day of this tragedy is just another symptom of what happens to a culture when there are no parameters on behavior or sense of decency.

Today is a day of mourning and walking with those who grieve. A family lost two of its loved ones today.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
38,837
60,862
113
The fact that we have a thread tearing down one of Sports greatest athletes over the last few decades, is almost as sad as today's events

RIP to one of the greatest.

I suspect that not only will teams continue to retire his jersey, but the NBA logo could change and you'll probably see the names of awards changed to honor one of the GOATs.

Man, the guy had so many more decades of putting his stamp on basketball, the culture, all sports.. being a great role model and father figure.
 

Baller Cal

Heisman
Dec 28, 2019
7,014
15,822
0
Saw some computer animated thing that showed it taking off,, halfway there stopped in midair and did about 3-5 360s,, straightened back up but went off course then crashed..

He was told by air traffic that the fog was so bad that he had to hold on and hang out for a bit so they did for about 15 minutes. My question is why in the world would they even chance it if the fog was bad, which they had to know that it was? They said LA has been having abnormally bad fog lately.
 
Last edited:

king of cali

All-Conference
Nov 24, 2005
6,955
3,877
0
Saw some computer animated thing that showed it taking off,, halfway there stopped in midair and did about 3-5 360s,, straightened back up but went off course then crashed..

Really heavy fog in LA this morning. Saw reports that the pilot was flying between 1200 and 2000 trying to get to a place of better visibility.
 

dcw62

All-Conference
Oct 4, 2005
1,495
2,345
0
I got home and told my wife who doesn't follow sports and,even she knew who Kobe was.She compared his death to Prince'death a few years ago.He was to basketball as Prince was to music.Didnt think of it that way but I guess she has a point.
 

SuporChin

All-Conference
Mar 2, 2011
1,148
1,149
0
This absolutely crushed me today. I can't count the number of times I rooted against this guy, but always admired his drive and basketball ability. He was just so good that it frusted me to watch him play against my favorite team.

It hurts that his daughter died with him. This whole thing is just so sad. RIP Mamba.
 

KYWildCatsFan

Heisman
Aug 18, 2017
6,491
13,872
98
Was in public today when I overheard someone say that Kobe had died. I couldn’t believe it, and in shock asked them if I had heard them correctly. They said yes, of course I still couldn’t believe it. I had to see for myself.

It still doesn’t seem real. I don’t really get effected by celebrity deaths. But this one hit me in the chest, he was iconic. One of the most iconic names of my generation. Anybody and everybody knew his name. People who didn’t like sports yelled “Kobe!” anytime they threw something in the trash.

And to make it even more tragic, his 13 year old daughter and 7 others, some of which names have not been released yet have perished. What a terrible tragedy.
 
Last edited:
Jul 9, 2004
93,075
38,060
0
Saw some computer animated thing that showed it taking off,, halfway there stopped in midair and did about 3-5 360s,, straightened back up but went off course then crashed..


I posted a link that showed how the entire flight went. There were what looked like several figure 8s that were made before the flight continued on and then subsequently crashed.
 
Jul 9, 2004
93,075
38,060
0
The Altobelli family had 3 children. Now 2 children have to move on without both their parents and their sibling. Such a sad story that we still dont have all the answers to.
 
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420grover

All-American
Mar 26, 2006
7,703
7,860
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The Altobelli family had 2 children. Now a child has to move on without both her parents and her sibling. Such a sad story that we still dont have all the answers to.
According to the article linked above, they had 3 children. 2 daughters, 1 son.
 

UK90

Heisman
Dec 30, 2007
31,460
27,814
0
This tweet sums up my feelings. I can't believe how much false reporting occurred today, and by mainstream network outlets. Journalistic standard have truly gone to crap. There was a time when getting it right was considered more important than getting it out fast. The social media age seems to have completely destroyed that ethos.

 

ukwazoo

All-Conference
Sep 8, 2001
11,317
3,991
0
I'm wondering if Big Ben would get the same treatment as Kobe regarding past indiscretions? His accomplishments are much more visible and his presence on the court was undeniable. But, his views toward women like that just don't all of a sudden appear. I hate that he died along with his daughter and he did die young, but to glorify it like this makes it appear that all the other stuff was just brushed under the rug and forgotten is so much disrespect to women all over. Just my opinion on the matter.

Good day to dust off the old ignore button.
 
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ukwazoo

All-Conference
Sep 8, 2001
11,317
3,991
0
I'm 43. Kobe has been in the spotlight for over half my life. I always thought people who mourned over celebrities were kooky, but this has hit me hard. I've spent the day showering my daughters with hugs and kisses...something I should be doing more of.

Hope you guys cherish the ones closest to you. And I hope I never have to deal with what Vanessa is dealing with.

RIP, Kobe.
 
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Apr 13, 2002
44,001
97,152
0
Can't believe anyone thinks LeBron is better than Kobe. LeBron is more gifted. He's the better choice if you're drafting for fantasy basketball. But Kobe won games and titles. Alot of them.

If you could put Kobe's drive and mentality in LeBron, then LeBron would easily be the greatest ever

That dude is a damn fool if he thinks Kobe had to rape a woman.

Especially one with 5 or more other ***** present in her body and/or underwear. Lapse of judgment but totally consensual. Either way, to bring it up NOW is low. Even for click starved media.
 
Jul 9, 2004
93,075
38,060
0
This tweet sums up my feelings. I can't believe how much false reporting occurred today, and by mainstream network outlets. Journalistic standard have truly gone to crap. There was a time when getting it right was considered more important than getting it out fast. The social media age seems to have completely destroyed that ethos.



Clearly people trying to be first with the story damn the facts.
 

BBBLazing

All-Conference
Dec 30, 2009
4,888
4,388
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Look in the sky. What natural thing up there aerodynamically looks like a plane?? Now find something that looks like a helicopter...that’s your answer.

Coming from someone who flew them. If you lose the power source then you’re a rock falling. Only hope is to conduct a successful autorotation which is essentially converting potential to kinetic energy at the last second to cushion the impact; small skid Helos you can slide it on gently if you nail it.

But civilian pilots don’t get reps at practicing autos
So you have nothing nice to say of the deceased, just a science explanation of why he died?
 

YouKay

Heisman
May 15, 2002
35,671
31,767
113
I am watching the local news now in Philadelphia and it is just so so sad. Kobe was a giant here as much as he was in LA. One clip had him talking about how badly he wanted to play pro ball in Philly but the Sixers had the #1 pick that year and took Allen Iverson. Another showed him at a local cheesesteak joint he loved to visit and one of him celebrating the Eagles winning the Super Bowl in 2018. One of the news anchors played ball with his dad and had known Kobe since he was 4, dude was crying on the air.

Just an unspeakable tragedy.
 
Jul 9, 2004
93,075
38,060
0
Didn't see this in here. The Dallas Mavericks are retiring the No. 24. I wonder if this will end up being a league-wide thing.
 

UK90

Heisman
Dec 30, 2007
31,460
27,814
0
Didn't see this in here. The Dallas Mavericks are retiring the No. 24. I wonder if this will end up being a league-wide thing.

I'm all for Kobe tributes, but that seems over the top. You don't retire numbers of guys who never played for your franchise unless maybe it's some truly socially transformative Jackie Robinson type figure.

If they're gonna retire Kobe's 24, then why not also Jordan's 23, Magic's 32, Bird's 33, Russell's 6, etc?