Kobe Bryant Discussion, Part Two

[Balllin]

Anyone seen a statement from Phil Jackson? The people I was most looking forward to hearing from were Jerry West, Jeannie Buss, Shaq and Phil Jackson. Jeannie is very emotional so I can imagine her being an absolute wreck, the other two have spoken but no word yet from Phil?

I don't really get why the first thing for so many people inclunding celebrities is to go online and post something about this. If someone I really cared about died as suddenly as this, I would not really be able to go online and verbalize my pain. I'd just withdraw myself and talk to only very close people.

Giannis deactivated all social media, Kyrie sat out a game. This for me is a much more appropriate response than going on twitter and write "Nooooo God Nooooo" followed by some childish emojis.

[Gooner]

Anyone seen a statement from Phil Jackson? The people I was most looking forward to hearing from were Jerry West, Jeannie Buss, Shaq and Phil Jackson. Jeannie is very emotional so I can imagine her being an absolute wreck, the other two have spoken but no word yet from Phil?

I don't really get why the first thing for so many people inclunding celebrities is to go online and post something about this. If someone I really cared about died as suddenly as this, I would not really be able to go online and verbalize my pain. I'd just withdraw myself and talk to only very close people.

Giannis deactivated all social media, Kyrie sat out a game. This for me is a much more appropriate response than going on twitter and write "Nooooo God Nooooo".

Absolutely, this is not about them and their tweets for once.

[Knicks7Tape]

You saying you don't risk a life due to convenience can apply to everyone on board that flight. We take risks every day, we hedge our bets. Have you traveled in the rain? When it's windy? Snow? Slightly icey roads? We all take calculated risks when traveling. None of us know the circumstances or discussions that were had. Did you read the post by the poster that was a naval helicopter pilot? He could have been hit with sudden vertigo due to worsening conditions? Or the witness that said that little valley had a tendency to have a little micro climates where weather sticks there. From what I've read, the visibility was poor but within acceptable conditions to fly given the necessary precautions. You can even listen to the traffic control conversations. I would assume that if the weather was too poor to fly he would not have gotten clearance to take off, or one of the multiple air traffic controllers he spoke with during the flight would have had him land until it cleared up.

I'm not saying the man didn't possibly make a mistake but we don't know the conditions, or what could have led to a potential mistakes. Pilots fly in poor weather conditions every single day. I'd bet money that it wasn't the first time Kobe himself took a helicopter ride in less than ideal weather conditions.

Lastly, my initial point was that the man should not be the focus of rage. He lost his life like everyone aboard. It's tragic, I get people find comfort in focusing blame/responsibility. But I think people should try to keep emotions in check when it comes to that. Mob mentality can easily take over in these situations, and people need to remember there is a family grieving that man too.

EDIT: fixed ton of typos

I don't see anybody raging here (maybe other than yourself). We're pointing out a very simple point (which IMO is unbeatable) that the helicopter crashed due to pilot error. There was clearly a risk in flying in fog conditions and the pilot clearly made other mistakes which led the helicopter to crash on a mountain.

I'm sorry, but this crash is on the pilot. It doesn't mean he's a villain. It was obviously and accident and not malice or premeditation.

It is what it is.

I feel angry that my favorite athlete of all time, his daughter and the rest of the folks on the helicopter likely lost their lives because of the pilot **** up. As angry as I am, I feel horrible for the pilot's family who are likely to get bombarded by fans and media.

[ROballer]

favorite kobe story goes something like this.
it was mike's last season(wizards) and they're playing the lakers. i guess this is around the time that kobe signed with nike too so he's wearing jordans int he game and mike starts talking a little and he eventually says something along the lines of "you can wear the/(my) shoes but you'll never fill them". kobe didn't like that.
so this happened the next time they played each other which was also the last time they ever played each other.

Watch on YouTube

i grew up on mike, that was my guy. but how could you not respect someone who had that same killer instinct. wasn't quite as good, but wanted to **** destroy you just as badly.

RIP Mamba

One of the less talked "great games" he had. Probably the best "on fire" stretch of his career.
Had 40 pts on 14-16 FG and 7 made 3's with almost 5 mins remaining in the 2nd quarter. Played 14-15 mins IIRC.
Tough shots too.

[Slava]

Anyone seen a statement from Phil Jackson? The people I was most looking forward to hearing from were Jerry West, Jeannie Buss, Shaq and Phil Jackson. Jeannie is very emotional so I can imagine her being an absolute wreck, the other two have spoken but no word yet from Phil?

I don't really get why the first thing for so many people inclunding celebrities is to go online and post something about this. If someone I really cared about died as suddenly as this, I would not really be able to go online and verbalize my pain. I'd just withdraw myself and talk to only very close people.

Giannis deactivated all social media, Kyrie sat out a game. This for me is a much more appropriate response than going on twitter and write "Nooooo God Nooooo" followed by some childish emojis.

Speak for yourself. When something tragic happens people want to hear from others they respect, who are going through the same grief on how to process it. Its also the reason Jerry West was doing so many interviews within 24 hours with CBS, ABC, ESPN and so on and so forth while clearly fighting back tears at every second.

Its also why leaders/presidents speak to national audience after tragedies.

[SOUL]

Saw a good post from Derrick Williams:

"He was the most misunderstood basketball player ever and it was because his tenacity, aggression, work ethic that ultimately made you uncomfortable. Who trains like this ? How ? Why would you do that? Ultimately you become better then your idols and that’s what he became to many people from LA. With that said , only two words could describe him , Black Mamba.
One story I want to share is when I go to workout with Kobe. I sent him a text and said Kobe can i get a workout in with you tomorrow? I want to be a better player. He responds “6:30AM Irvine Spectrum” I meet him there but he wasn’t sleepy eyed like I was so I was confused as hell. We lift for 1hr 15 mins , abs another 45 mins , then we hop on the court for an hour. “D Will we are going to work on go to moves , I’ma show you counters and everything and I’m going to rebound for you” for a hour he ran and chased makes and misses to see me get better. I asked him why aren’t you going to shoot ? He said “young fella I’ve been up since 4 , I already shot and ran on the track before I met you here” Thats when I knew I was working with a different animal. Thank you @kobebryant for the ever lasting memories and for what you have done for my generation of basketball players and inspiring athletes. Prayers to the Bryant family."

[no dice]

The pain doesn't go away. This 1 hurts real deep

[Balllin]

Speak for yourself. When something tragic happens people want to hear from others they respect, who are going through the same grief on how to process it. Its also the reason Jerry West was doing so many interviews within 24 hours with CBS, ABC, ESPN and so on and so forth while clearly fighting back tears at every second.

Its also why leaders/presidents speak to national audience after tragedies.

Who else was I speaking for than myself anyway?

Preparing a statement to reflect on something and writing "Noooo God Noooo " on twitter are different things, with the latter bordering on tasteless. If you're as heartbroken as you make it out to be, I don't get why the first thing you'd do is go on twitter blurt out stuff like this. This is totally different to someone being a leader and taking responsibility by adressing the public in a mature, reflected and tasteful manner, despite being very hurt on the inside.

This is why I respect Giannis decision to withdraw from social media, simply because I agree that some emoji filled one liner is not appropriate for this situation.

[Slava]

Speak for yourself. When something tragic happens people want to hear from others they respect, who are going through the same grief on how to process it. Its also the reason Jerry West was doing so many interviews within 24 hours with CBS, ABC, ESPN and so on and so forth while clearly fighting back tears at every second.

Its also why leaders/presidents speak to national audience after tragedies.

Who else was I speaking for than myself anyway?

Preparing a statement to reflect on something and writing "Noooo God Noooo " on twitter are different things, with the latter bordering on tasteless. If you're as heartbroken as you make it out to be, I don't get why the first thing you'd do is go on twitter blurt out stuff like this. This is totally different to someone being a leader and taking responsibility by adressing the public in a mature, reflected and tasteful manner, despite being very hurt on the inside.

This is why I respect Giannis decision to withdraw from social media, simply because I agree that some emoji filled one liner is not appropriate for this situation.

Well if those two are so different why did you quote my post and deliver this sermon anyways? I clearly asked to see if Phil Jackson made a statement, I said nothing about twitter.

If you want to plug Giannis, sure do it elsewhere.

[itrsteve]

I hate to be the person talking about this, but I feel like it's needed. Unfortunately even today, in the modern days, the hatred and prejudice against women runs deeply in America. The #metoo movement exposed this. Kobe was an amazing player, a myth, a legend, but if are being sincere here he also very likely sexually assaulted an innocent woman. Might have even ruined her life. But we don't talk about this. Most people don't even know her name. We only talk about the glory and the fame, but nothing about the bad parts.

And we are talking something global here. The NBA is watched everywhere, and women everywhere live with fear of being sexually assaulted. As a trans woman, I live with this fear too. What kind of message are we sending here when we sweep this under the rug? We need to be mature and talk about the good and bad things in the life of a person. It's very serious, especially in cases like this. And it's disturbing when most of the media and hollywood, who are both industries full of sexism, don't even dare mention it just because Kobe was famous and a millionaire. The part of the media who is mentioning it is suffering fierce and disgusting sexist attacks, like the Washington Post reporter. Is this the NBA we want?

Anyway, this doesn't erase the fact that it was a horrifically sad and tragic accident, I hope all those who died rest in peace.

I had to read this a few times, then a few times again. It eventually all clicked.

Thanks for the self-serving post.

This is 2020

[SuperSunsFan]

I just woke up at 3 clock in the morning to a panic attack, and i only am and was a Suns fan in Kobe's playing days not Lakers fans, imagine how hard this tragedy must have hit them. I think the mental aspect is overlooked by media, the mass depression and anxiety panic will set in when the initial shock passes. Stay safe everyone.

[Metallikid]

I don't think we ever would have won a championship without you, Kobe.

It's like you gave us a tiny part of your greatness when you dropped that 81.

I'm glad you got to see us win it all.

[Pillendreher]

favorite kobe story goes something like this.
it was mike's last season(wizards) and they're playing the lakers. i guess this is around the time that kobe signed with nike too so he's wearing jordans int he game and mike starts talking a little and he eventually says something along the lines of "you can wear the/(my) shoes but you'll never fill them". kobe didn't like that.
so this happened the next time they played each other which was also the last time they ever played each other.

Watch on YouTube

i grew up on mike, that was my guy. but how could you not respect someone who had that same killer instinct. wasn't quite as good, but wanted to **** destroy you just as badly.

RIP Mamba

One of the less talked "great games" he had. Probably the best "on fire" stretch of his career.
Had 40 pts on 14-16 FG and 7 made 3's with almost 5 mins remaining in the 2nd quarter. Played 14-15 mins IIRC.
Tough shots too.

Highlights like this make me appreciate the individual skill level these guys had back in the day. I'd rather watch tough shot making like this than random role player taking 7 3s in a game to be honest.

[Pillendreher]

Its also the reason Jerry West was doing so many interviews within 24 hours with CBS, ABC, ESPN and so on and so forth while clearly fighting back tears at every second.

Seems to me that's a cultural thing as well though. You would never see anything like that in Germany. I honestly can't even tell you the last time I saw somebody connected to the deceased(s) give an interview of this kind shortly after a tragedy.*

*Not that I'm judging it. Germans are (a tad) more reserved emotionally.

[Tracymcgoaty]

so why is the game cancelled tomorrow?

So is this gonna happen every time a laker player/legend dies?

you got a small ass dick don't you little man?

Ok there mr big dick guy. It just sets a bad precedent. So next time a laker legend dies, the game should be postponed so players mourn.

Dude go **** yourself..It sets a bad precedent that LA postponed a **** game to grieve someone they lost? They're not **** robots you absolute **** ****. You dont know these players you have absolutely no idea the impact Kobe had on their lives. It's Kobe how is this hard to get?

[kb24k]

you got a small ass dick don't you little man?

Ok there mr big dick guy. It just sets a bad precedent. So next time a laker legend dies, the game should be postponed so players mourn.

Dude go **** yourself..It sets a bad precedent that LA postponed a **** game to grieve someone they lost? They're not **** robots you absolute **** ****. You dont know these players you have absolutely no idea the impact Kobe had on their lives. It's Kobe how is this hard to get?

He might be a scalper and is losing money because of this. Couldn't happen to a better person

[JustOneFix]

I know this may sound innapropriate and maybe rude considering this huge tragedy, but he should have never gotten on that helicopter under such weather and all the warnings that follow, let alone taking his daughter with him. If you are responsible and intelligent guy like everyone is claiming you to be, you just don't do that. This was not a emergency no choice case. It was a stupid kids basketball game and you just don't risk a life of your daughter over that...

[Baarignani]

Just because LAPD grounded their helicopters doesn't mean it applies across the board. Different areas, different weather situations.


You saying you don't risk a life due to convenience can apply to everyone on board that flight. We take risks every day, we hedge our bets. Have you traveled in the rain? When it's windy? Snow? Slightly icey roads? We all take calculated risks when traveling. None of us know the circumstances or discussions that were had. Did you read the past by the poster that was a naval helicopter pilot? He could have been hit with sudden vertigo die to worsening conditions? Or the witness that said that little valley had a tendency to have a little micro climate where weather sticks there. From what I've read, the visibility was poor but within acceptable conditions to fly given the necessary precautions. You can even listen to the traffic control conversations. I would assume that if the weather was too poor to fly he would not have gotten clearance to take off, or one of the multiple air traffic controllers he spoke with during the flight would have had him land until it cleared up.

I'm not saying the man didn't possibly make a mistake but we don't know the conditions, or what could have let to a potential mistakes. Pilots fly in poor weather conditions every single day. I'd bet money that it wasn't he first time Kobe himself took a helicopter ride in less than ideal weather conditions.

Lastly, my initial point was that the man should not be the focus of rage. He lost his life the everyone aboard. It's tragic, I get people find comfort in focusing blame/responsibility. But I think people should try to keep emotions in check when it comes to that. Mob mentality can easily take over in these situations, and people need to remember there is a family grieving that man too.

That's fair, and you're right to say that even if the pilot was to blame, someone is suffering from his death as well regardless.

But again, the reports I'm reading are that the pilot had to request "special clearance" to fly that day in heavy fog and that he was a 'VFR pilot', which is supposedly the type of pilot that relies on his visuals to navigate rather than instrument use. We all make mistakes and you're probably right that this wasn't the first time Kobe flew in questionable conditions; but if you're specifically a VFR pilot requesting special permission to fly through unusually heavy fog when seemingly nobody else is flying, well, I just view that as a preventable mistake. It hurts to know that there's a good chance we're all suffering and families were torn apart from a preventable mistake.

Read on Twitter

Based on the information released so far that I've read, it does appear it could have been avoided. But all accidents could have been avoided if one or two choices were changed. And I hadn't read he requested special permission, that's good to know. But he was a VFR pilot, which from my limited understanding is required to fly in low visibility conditions. So wouldn't that make sense? He was certified to fly in the unideal circumstance and either made a mistake or just had a tragic accident.

I can only speak for myself, but I just feel it's a fruitless endeavor to try to place blame. What comes out of it? The only people that will suffer from it is the man's family. But again, I understand. People grieve their own ways, and sometimes that includes trying to place responsibility to cope.

Are you trolling? So you must think it was wrong for captain Schettino to get a manslaughter charge for accidentally hitting rocks in his cruise ship killing 32 people. Why would it matter if the pilot dies or lives the accident? He's equally at fault either way. The only reason to lay blame is to prevent future accidents like it. Better training and regulations will follow. That's how the airline industry saves lives by placing blame and fixing problem areas.

[alienswon]

so why is the game cancelled tomorrow?

So is this gonna happen every time a laker player/legend dies?

How insensitive can you get....

1% of the population are sociopaths

some symptoms
Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
Shallow Emotions
Callousness/Lack of Empathy
Need for Stimulation
------------------------
i stopped being surprised once i realized that 1 out 100 people are like this.

[Zombiesonics]

Wasnt even close to being a kobe fan but man this one still hurts. Its like you lost an old friend, some one you still talk to every once in a while but aren't the closest with. He was a fixture in the sport ive loved since being a 9 year old, it seems inevitable for the next few seasons to be defined by this event.