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Kevin WangESPN.com
As the world mourns the death of Kobe Bryant, pain and disbelief is overwhelming across the Pacific Ocean in China. A day after the news that Bryant and eight others had died in a helicopter crash on Sunday in Southern California, Chinese fans have struggled to come to terms with the agonizing reality.
To many in this hoops-obsessed nation, it was a day they lost a culture-defining icon who crossed generations, an intimate stranger who evoked passionate feelings among fans who either liked or loathed the former Los Angeles Lakers star’s playing style. By the time many woke up Monday morning, the news had already made headlines across major media outlets, and it became one of the top trending searches on social media sites, including Weibo and Zhihu. Those in the Chinese basketball media community posted reflections of Bryant on their personal WeChat accounts, sharing emotional memories of covering one of the most celebrated global stars the country has seen.
“My entire youth, as well as the ups and downs in my life and professional career to this date, is almost in sync with Kobe,” wrote Sway Huang, a veteran NBA journalist at Tencent and author of a book documenting the Lakers’ history. “He was like an older friend from a far who accompanied me throughout my life, never missing a crucial moment.”
To Zhang Weiping — one of China’s most revered NBA broadcasters who has been covering the game for two decades — Bryant’s bigger-than-basketball status has created an unparalleled legacy among Chinese fans.
“He is willing to do anything at all cost in pursuit of perfection in movies, basketball and life,” said Zhang, who has hosted Bryant’s tours, clinics and book events in China. “I think that’s what his Mamba Mentality is about.”
As of late Monday, more than 3.7 million fans had sent their wishes through “Mamba Never Out,” a digital vigil on Tencent Sports, an ESPN content partner in China. Many also took to online forums, paying tribute in their own words to a storied legend they are so familiar with but never met, wishing “there was basketball in heaven” for him.
“… Went to hoop by myself today, shooting fadeaway jumpers one after another. Didn’t matter I made it or not, I just wanted to imitate you one last time …” one wrote.
“Injuries did not take him down, neither will death,” posted another.
A frequent visitor to China since 1998, Bryant really made a name with Chinese fans in 2001, when he made a famous dunk on top of the Great Wall of China. As his NBA career progressed in the years after, Bryant also saw his fame expand in China, as translated in leading jersey sales, thunderous cheers received at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and, more recently, his global ambassadorship at last summer’s FIBA World Cup in China.
In the post-Michael Jordan era, Bryant’s popularity in China was in a league of its own. Along with a few others — such as Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter — he arguably spearheaded the globalization of basketball in China, especially in the early 2000s, when linear broadcast was the only source to watch NBA games in China. It was during this time Bryant almost single-handedly made the Lakers perhaps the most popular NBA team in China. Today, many still maintain allegiance first to Bryant, then to the Lakers. During Bryant’s prime NBA years, high school and college students would fill up every seat at school cafeterias at lunch just to catch the final moments of a Lakers game.
On Saturday afternoons, teenage boys would be seen wearing Bryant’s knockoff No. 8 jerseys and Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 sneakers on concrete courts across China, practicing the signature “Ke-bi” moves they had just stole from live TV broadcast or grainy internet highlights. In the heyday of Bryant’s career throughout the 2000s, battles between “Ke-mi” (Kobe-lovers) and “Ke-hei” (Kobe-haters) over his style of play were a constant on Chinese internet.
Over the years, tales of Chinese fans’ love were omnipresent. Many traveled thousands of miles to Staples Center to offer best wishes to their retiring “Lao-ke” (the intimate Chinese nickname for an aging Bryant), and one fan even returned Bryant’s stolen high school jersey unconditionally. Meanwhile, stories detailing Bryant’s strict demands on hoops clinic participants and kind acts toward fervid fans also helped glorify his charisma.
One could argue that what really made Bryant unique to Chinese fans was his ability to connect with them throughout different stages of his life. A lot of Bryant’s most loyal fans grew up with him. As teenagers, they looked up to his style of play and on-court competitiveness. As adults, they appreciated his approach to life and business acumen. Many of these fans — now in their 30s and 40s — see Bryant as a flag-bearer of their generation and perhaps a mirror of their own life journey. As they grow away from youth into a possibly mundane adulthood, the occasional reminiscing of those younger days can be a treasured treat.
“Mamba is out, but his mentality will live on,” Huang wrote.
“You are never gone,” wrote Sun Yue, a Chinese basketball player who was once a teammate of Bryant’s with the Lakers. “Your Mamba Mentality has influenced a whole generation. We will carry on with your spirit. You will always live in my heart. R.I.P.”
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