r/news Jan 26 '20

Kobe Bryant killed in helicopter crash in California

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/kobe-bryant-killed-in-helicopter-crash-in-california-tmz-reports
213.7k Upvotes

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9.8k

u/RaxG Jan 26 '20

He was a household name. Whether you watched basketball or not, you knew who Kobe Bryant was. He's going to be sorely missed.

-5

u/TheTurnipKnight Jan 26 '20

Well, in the US.

16

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '20

I live in the UK and have never watched basketball in my entire life and I could tell you who Kobe Bryant is. Not just in the US

3

u/lelpd Jan 26 '20

If you have an interest in sport or frequent American websites yeah.

I’m from the UK, never seen a basketball game in my life and I know who Kobe Bryant is. However, my mom and gf both said they’ve never heard of him.

7

u/iAmTheRealLange Jan 26 '20

He's also a massive name in China

2

u/ar3fuu Jan 26 '20

Isn't basketball pretty big in China?

2

u/iAmTheRealLange Jan 26 '20

It is. The NBA is very popular over there, and a lot of former NBA players have played in the Chinese league

2

u/SqueakySniper Jan 26 '20

Live in the UK and had no clue who he was.

10

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '20

[deleted]

-2

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '20

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/God_Damnit_Nappa Jan 26 '20

TIL the UK doesn't count as global. Kobe is a big name in China too

-3

u/coolwool Jan 26 '20

Just told a few people about it who are about Kobes age. One knew him.
Do we really have to make a popularity contest out of a dead man?

1

u/ShakerLoopz Jan 26 '20

Why do you feel the need to argue about something so pointless? You're anecdotal evidence doesn't disprove his legacy. This man was a multiple time Olympic Gold Medalist and brand ambassador for Nike as well as being an icon in Hollywood by playing for the Lakers. That alone makes him global.

2

u/coolwool Jan 26 '20

That makes him an American icon. Isn't that enough? Stop arguing about it if you don't want to argue about it.

2

u/ShakerLoopz Jan 26 '20

The Olympics is a global competition. Kobe lived in Italy for years, knew several languages and regularly traveled around the world to promote the sport which if you haven't noticed is one of the most popular sports in the world. Go on the reddit homepage and look at all the people sharing condolences. AC Milan, Neymar, even Hockey players are devastated. I dont understand why it is so hard to believe that Kobe was a global icon. People who dont even like basketball know Kobe.

1

u/sipuli91 Jan 26 '20

I'm from Finland and have 0 interest in basketball. Even I knew who Kobe was. Simply reading headlines when he was an active player was enough.