At a comic book convention in Hangzhou, China, a man showed up dressed in a costume that seemed to parody the 2020 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other people.
Following the unnamed person’s apparent use of a homemade plastic helicopter outfit, fans of the NBA player are furious. Along with cardboard and bottles, the contentious ensemble also included a mask with a Bryant motif and a facsimile of the renowned player’s Los Angeles Lakers jersey and basketball shorts covering his face.
Tasteless joke on Kobe Bryant slammed by fans and critics alike
The man is seen posing for pictures with admirers while lying on the ground in certain of the video. Since then, a video of the exhibit has gone viral, inciting even more indignation among basketball fans worldwide.
🚨Tasteless! A man who attended a recent comic convention in China wore a Kobe Bryant helicopter crash costume to the event, which sparked a ton of outrage here in the States. The offensive ensemble used plastic bottles, cardboard, a No. 24 uniform, and a Kobe mask. pic.twitter.com/eMoWB5MqWc
— John-Carlos Estrada 🎙️ (@Mr_JCE) June 4, 2024
Although a few other participants in the vicinity seemed unfazed by the man’s movements throughout the conference, it’s unclear what the audience’s overall opinion was. It’s also unclear if the man was asked to leave the event by event staff.
In the terrible helicopter crash in California on January 26, 2020, basketball coach Christina Mauser, the pilot, Ara Zobayan, and John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and their daughter Alyssa, as well as Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton, also perished.
