A few days after the untimely death of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, the tributes continue to pour in from almost every avenue imaginable. Such is the influence of the five-time NBA champ not only in the world of basketball, but also way beyond.
ESPN senior writer Zach Lowe recently penned his own eulogy on Kobe, and in his poignant write-up, Lowe shared how he learned about Bryant's growing disdain for the approach the mainstream media has been taking with regards to the way it covers the game that he loved so much:
He told me that as he neared retirement, he was growing concerned about media coverage of the NBA. He felt in the endless focus on legacy and championships and trade machinations, the game itself — the craft, the beauty — was getting lost. The unofficial winner of #RINGZ discourse was tired of it.
He appreciated that I tried to write about X's and O's. He wanted to meet and discuss the future of media coverage.
What makes this so interesting, as Lowe notes, is that Kobe Bryant himself was and will continue to be propped up in debates because of his 5-2 NBA Finals record. As it turns out, the 18-time All-Star had his qualms with how much importance the media has been placing on #RINGZ and how it has been presented to the audience.
Kobe was a trailblazer, and as detailed by Lowe above, one of the things he wanted to effect change on was the media's approach on covering the beautiful game. Before his death, Bryant created an ESPN+ film study series called “Detail,” wrote an Oscar-winning animated short titled “Dear Basketball,” and also did his “Musecage” videos.
It's such a shame that Kobe Bryant was no longer able to live out this dream of his — and the many more he had in his mind and in his huge heart. Rest is peace, Mamba.
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