Let us not speak ill of the dead. Well, maybe a little -- if for no other reason than to loosen the clamps on everyone else’s mouths. Kobe Bryant. A great athlete, but a less then perfect human being. Selfish, egotistic, and possibly criminal. He hogged the ball and the spotlight, cheated on his wife, and frequently treated other people like shit. He was richly rewarded for his athletic prowess, and admired by millions who live vicariously through the accomplishments of others, but what did he really accomplish in life?
He was neither a great intellect or a profound thinker. He wasn’t an artist or a healer or a crusader for social justice. He never sacrificed himself for the greater good or spoke out in support of an unpopular cause. He sank baskets and won championships. Even then, team was merely an addendum to personal glory. He lived comfortably and conventionally and mostly did what he wanted with little or no regard for anything or anybody else. It’s a great shame to die at forty-one, but he wasn’t Jesus Christ and he didn’t die on the cross.
A “complicated legacy” is evidently any life history that includes high athletic achievement, frequent prima donna behavior, and a reputable, well-documented rape allegation. It’s hard to not speak ill of the dead when the skeletons in their closets rattle louder than their accomplishments.
ReplyDelete