Entertainment
Fans of Kobe Bryant were outraged that the man was wearing a plastic costume that showed death at the crash site
A man who arrived at a comic book convention in Hangzhou, China, showed up in a costume that appeared to mock the 2020 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and 7 others.
Fans of an NBA player are outraged after an unidentified person wore what seemed to be a homemade plastic helicopter suit. The controversial set also included cardboard and bottles, and the man’s face was covered with a mask with Bryant’s motif and a replica of his legendary Los Angeles Lakers basketball jersey and shorts.
Photos and videos of a man in a costume seemingly recreating some elements of the tragic event have appeared on social media, sparking significant backlash.
Some of the videos show a man lying on the ground and posing for photos with fans. A video of the show went viral, sparking more outrage across the basketball-loving world.
“This is inappropriate behavior and disrespect for mocking Kobe,” one person said wrote on X.
“Nothing is funny about the women, men and youngsters who lost their lives in a helicopter crash. “I don’t have anything else to say that’s remotely positive about it.” other – a social media user noted.
🚨Tasteless! A man who attended a recent comic book convention in China wore a Kobe Bryant helicopter crash costume to the event, sparking outrage in the United States. The offensive team used plastic bottles, cardboard, uniform No. 24 and a Kobe mask. pic.twitter.com/eMoWB5MqWc
— John-Carlos Estrada 🎙️ (@Mr_JCE) June 4, 2024
“This is so disgusting…” added one other person. One person identified racism, writing: “China’s hatred towards the Black community, especially Black men, must be seriously looked into…mean country.”
“Tasteless!” read the fifth comment: “The offensive team used plastic bottles, cardboard, uniform No. 24 and a Kobe mask.”
Although another nearby participants appeared to have serious faces as the man moved through the gathering, the general agreement of the audience is unknown. It can be unclear whether event staff asked the man to go away the event.
John Altobelli, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa; Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton; and basketball coach Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan also died in a tragic helicopter crash in California on January 26, 2020.
Basketball is a global sport, and Bryant was one of the hottest NBA players in China during his storied profession.
Shortly after Bryant’s premature death, the city of Guangzhou erected a monument in honor of the five-time NBA champion.