I greatly appreciate Kobe, and this may not be a popular sentiment, but it feels like to me, that this retiring the number 24, the players switching numbers and all that are really more about the way he died than his accomplishments in the NBA?(Which were great and amazing, no doubt...no disrespect meant.) He absolutely was greatly beloved and greatly respected...without question, but he's not alone on his level.
It seems to have a domino and escalation effect as well. When I've worked with groups that are processing tragic sudden grief, the worst thing to put all of them in a room together to process. For example, I was called in to deal with a middle school who had just lost 3 students in a tragic car accident. The teachers had sent any student that was emotional to the lunchroom and when I got there, there was 100 students, some hysterical, but all greatly emotional, in one room feeding off of each other's grief. It was horrendously unhealthy and was hard to deal with.
I think if we all stepped back a minute, put the feelings of grief aside for a minute, we can acknowledge that he was a great player, but we all know that if he hadn't died early, in a tragic way, and had just lived to be 82 and died of heart disease, that none of these players changing numbers and multiple franchises retiring his number would be happening.
I firmly believe that people have to process grief in the way best for them and that's a wide range of things, and if retiring the number is the thing, awesome...but I also counsel people dealing with grief NOT to make any large decisions with long reaching ramifications, no more major life changes that you don't have to make, until after the initial shock and some time has passed. For example, don't change jobs or move for a year...
I think that the league and owners would do well to consider this as well. That being said, again, that is meant as no disrespect to Kobe or in any way trying to diminish his legacy or anything. I hope this doesn't offend anyone either...not my intent at all or to be insensitive.
It seems to have a domino and escalation effect as well. When I've worked with groups that are processing tragic sudden grief, the worst thing to put all of them in a room together to process. For example, I was called in to deal with a middle school who had just lost 3 students in a tragic car accident. The teachers had sent any student that was emotional to the lunchroom and when I got there, there was 100 students, some hysterical, but all greatly emotional, in one room feeding off of each other's grief. It was horrendously unhealthy and was hard to deal with.
I think if we all stepped back a minute, put the feelings of grief aside for a minute, we can acknowledge that he was a great player, but we all know that if he hadn't died early, in a tragic way, and had just lived to be 82 and died of heart disease, that none of these players changing numbers and multiple franchises retiring his number would be happening.
I firmly believe that people have to process grief in the way best for them and that's a wide range of things, and if retiring the number is the thing, awesome...but I also counsel people dealing with grief NOT to make any large decisions with long reaching ramifications, no more major life changes that you don't have to make, until after the initial shock and some time has passed. For example, don't change jobs or move for a year...
I think that the league and owners would do well to consider this as well. That being said, again, that is meant as no disrespect to Kobe or in any way trying to diminish his legacy or anything. I hope this doesn't offend anyone either...not my intent at all or to be insensitive.
"There are no friends on the court." - Luka Doncic