There is no doubt that Kobe Bryant was a huge deal wherever he went. The Los Angeles Lakers icon was one of the most famous athletes in the world during and after his time as a professional basketball player. Kobe’s impact on the world transcended his own sports and he was considered a cultural icon not only in the US but abroad.
When it comes to China, Kobe was unbeatable, as LeBron James realized ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Kobe was there with the Redeem Team, focused on winning the gold medal after Team USA had a couple of rough years in international basketball. That’s where King James found out how big of a deal Kobe was in the Asian country.
“I thought I was famous until I got [to China] with Kobe,” James said ahead of the Olympics.
This has to do a lot with the time Yao Ming made it to the league, which was the exact same moment when Kobe was winning his three-peat with Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers.
Via ESPN:
Two events in the NBA led to Bryant’s emergence in China. The first was the retirement of Michael Jordan. The second was Yao Ming’s rise to stardom in the NBA.
After Jordan’s last shot in 1998 — not counting his swan song with the Wizards — fans across the world needed a new hero to worship, and to many, Kobe Bryant was that hero.
Meanwhile, Yao Ming served as the first real basketball ambassador between China and the United States, introducing the game to millions of Chinese fans just as Bryant was hitting his prime. Kobe won three consecutive championships with Shaquille O’Neal just at the time Chinese fans were developing their appetite for the NBA.
Kobe was and still is a huge figure for Chinese fans. The man made sure to leave his mark in the world and he didn’t miss China, where he became a complete superstar. Sadly, he left this world at the beginning of the year due to a fatal helicopter crash that killed him, his daughter Gianna and seven others.
