According to The Athletic’s Miami Heat staff writer Michael Lee, the way ABC has been profiteering off the ‘Do it for Kobe’ campaign is gross.
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Lakers legend and 5-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant died of a chopper crash in late January this year. His death sent shock waves across the basketball world. Tributes have poured in for the Black Mamba in various forms.
The Lakers are playing in Mamba edition jerseys designed by Nike. The newest NBA 2K game (2K21) has released a Mamba edition on its platform as well.
Michael Lee explains why using ‘Do it for Kobe’ is a gross rallying cry
Michael Lee believes, as do many others, that Kobe Bryant is being overused as a symbol. The Black Mamba, while an ardent Lakers fan till the end, would not have put his weight behind such a way to pay tribute to him.
LeBron James and co. have been very vocal about how they want to win this for Kobe and while they have the best intentions in mind, Lee isn’t a big fan of that being the biggest motivator.
Using Kobe’s death as a rallying cry is so gross. He didn’t die so the Lakers would win & that victory won’t bring him back to his family. I hate it when people play around with life like that. Kobe belonged to everyone he touched. Not just the team he played for. Let him RIP. https://t.co/AYEqWqqBmr
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) October 6, 2020
While there is an element of truth to what Lee has said, the way Kobe has impacted an entire generation of ballers cannot be overstated.
Most of today’s NBA stars grew up idolizing him and copying his moves. The Mamba Mentality has many followers in its cult. It will continue to be a powerful pulling force for NBA players.
They will look to tales of the Lakers legend for inspiration for many years to come.
