Bryant, 41, was a doting father of four daughters, a husband, an icon, a five-time winner of NBA titles, a phenomenal contributor on both offence and defence, a champion of women's sport and a man whose reputation was tarnished by an accusation of rape, which was never proved beyond reasonable doubt.
Judging from some media coverage and social media commentary, sports fans and the general public were united in their initial conviction that one of those need not be mentioned. Not at this time.
A few dissenters — especially those who got out of the blocks quickly to highlight the rape complaint — were condemned.
In that suffocating atmosphere, the virtue of staying silent was reinforced.
Imagine if one of the tennis players interviewed by John McEnroe had said: “I think it's important to spare a thought for the woman who accused Kobe Bryant of rape.” How would that have gone down with the crowd at Rod Laver Arena?
There you have a metaphor for how some rape victims must feel. Why put yourself out there to be booed? Yet it is imperative for society that people push back against abuse of power.
An interesting assumption was made about sports fans, that they would not welcome realistic portraits of a hero.
Various broadcasters were asked about Bryant's legacy and they answered artfully, instead of adequately. ESPN columnist Sarah Spain, however, wrote an outstanding piece, headlined Now is the right time to remember Kobe Bryant's life — all of it.
Focusing purely on the positive narrative was not something Bryant himself urged. “We all are angels. We are all devils,” he once told ESPN.
The chances of the prosecution's case succeeding may well have been slim — it collapsed when the complainant chose not to testify — but the allegations were not baseless. The alleged victim's blood was found on Bryant's shirt. Her injuries were inconsistent with consensual sex.
Bryant initially lied to police, denying that he had sexual contact with the complainant.
The case would have been far from easy for prosecutors to prove, however. The defence would have continued to argue injuries might have been caused by someone other than Bryant and that the complainant had mental health problems. They had scope to argue she was motivated by money.
In the end, the charges were dropped and the parties agreed to settle a civil dispute.
Bryant's image was rehabilitated over time.
Those who believe the rape accusation should be glossed over may wish to reflect on his apology to the woman. His statement read, in part: “I want to apologise to her for my behaviour that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year . . . I can only imagine the pain she has had to endure. Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognise now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did . . . I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.”
It's important to remember the wording was arrived at before the Me Too movement. Bryant's lawyers and PR people might have produced something more careful in today's climate. However, it's a shame the people behind the Grammys and Australian Open didn't take more notice of Me Too. Did they not notice the victim-blaming associated with the Bryant case?
Given their reluctance to celebrate the achievements of 24-time grand slam champion Margaret Court, because of her inflammatory comments, it's curious that Tennis Australia had no qualms about celebrating Bryant — screening a tribute.
Martina Navratilova, pushing for Margaret Court Arena to be renamed, went further. “Would it not be appropriate if the Staples Center were renamed as a tribute to Kobe Bryant?”
Appropriate? She cannot be serious.
