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| John Bazemore/AP |
It’s impossible to discuss Kobe Bryant without intangibles dominating the conversation. As with any player of his stature and cultural significance, particularly in professional sports, his identity becomes indistinguishable from his legend, with the mythology often overshadowing the actual performance (see: Jeter, Derek). It can be reductive; when the idolatry distracts from the reality, and our over-reliance on the un-provable prevents us from appreciating the unique talent that originally inspired the legend (see: Chappelle, David). And sometimes, it can be apt, and the seemingly-empty phrases somehow make sense, touching on the unknown (see: Bryant, Kobe “Bean”).
