Kobe Bryant in China: An Irreplicable Success

January 27th, 2020. Five days into the lockdown of Wuhan for what was then known as the “new coronavirus pneumonia,” many Chinese woke up hearing news that was no less devastating to them: Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash. On Chinese social media and search engines, the discussion on Kobe’s death soon overtook the hundreds of confirmed cases of the then-unknown virus. On the day of the tragic event, web searches on the Chinese search engine Baidu for “Kobe” rose to 7 million, six times more than searches for “Wuhan” and “pneumonia” combined (Brookings Institute).

While prioritizing mourning the death of a celebrity over caring about an unknown virus seemed to be unreasonable to some, the spontaneous mourning on the internet has yet again confirmed Kobe’s popularity in China. Of course, Kobe was a decorated basketball player and a well-known figure worldwide, but only in China was he the basketball player and the synonym of basketball and America. During the 2008 Olympics, there were tens of thousands of people shouting Kobe’s name on Beijing’s streets when team USA was pulling in a bus at 2 am, and there were once 15,000 people present at the venue at 9 am while Kobe’s scheduled event starts at 4 pm (USA Today). Kobe was so popular that the fans rooting for him greatly outnumbered that of Yao Ming, China’s homegrown basketball icon, when these two played against each other.

Some argue that there are only two simple reasons behind Kobe’s immense popularity in China: his high frequency of visiting China and his prime coinciding with the time when the internet was rapidly spreading in China. While these reasons are certainly sound, LeBron James, a player with more personal accolades than Kobe, would be no less popular than Kobe if these are the only factors determining a player’s popularity in China, while his presence on Chinese social media and search engines is significantly weaker than that of Kobe. In addition to the prima facie reasons, there has to be something that distinguishes Kobe from other players with no less individual achievement, and it is most likely to be the thorough revaluation of Kobe’s game and mentality.

The process through which Kobe became a cultural phenomenon in China was certainly unique: starting with NBA’s effort to globalize and Chinese official media’s increased broadcast, Kobe’s game which embodies elegance and technique quickly became the favorite of Chinese fans due to its coincidence with Chinese values. After his gain of popularity, Kobe’s game, alongside his famous “Mamba Mentality”, was further deconstructed and localized by “Ke Mi”s (the nickname of Chinese Kobe fans) and led to his becoming of a brand-new cultural symbol. Things then took an unexpected turn as the appreciation of Kobe on the individual level gradually became part of official propaganda and thus inseparable from the Chinese values and the Sino-American relationship. Given the amount of coincidence and the surprising development of Kobe’s popularity, it is fair to say that there is hardly any potential for any non-Chinese cultural icon to reach the level of Kobe at least in the near future.

In terms of playing style, Kobe was not the most physically gifted player, and his success was mainly obtained through his polished skills, specifically his fadeaway jumpers and finesse moves of ball-handling, both of which can be achieved through practice rather than having to be naturally talented. Not only has this made Kobe much more relatable to ordinary people, but it also coincides with the traditional Chinese value that appreciates success obtained through hard work more than through natural gifts. Growing up playing basketball, almost all people would call the best player on the court “Kobe” instead of “LeBron” as it has an implied meaning as the approval of one’s extraordinary skills and the hard work behind them. Specifically, “Kobe”s in Chinese pickup games are often those who shoot around for hours and can make difficult shots skillfully despite tight defense. In contrast, calling someone “LeBron” in a Chinese pickup game can be sarcastic as it implies that the person uses his physicality to attack the basket all the time but has limited skills. Such characterizations of Kobe and LeBron’s respective games were far from accurate, as LeBron is also a notoriously hard worker while Kobe’s signature moves still require some extent of physical gifts to be executed. Nevertheless, most Chinese basketball fans (perhaps the die-hard LeBron fans being the only exceptions) have been more than happy to adopt the stereotypical views, as “Kobe” under such context is no longer himself, but rather the symbol that contains all traits desirable for a Chinese fan. The difference in value has partly explained Kobe’s exceptional popularity in China because how one succeeds is not that valued in western cultures, which can be shown in Greek-Roman mythology that celebrates heroes with superhuman gifts. Therefore, only in China could Kobe receive extra acclaim for his style despite not being the player with the most personal achievements.

Finding the image of Kobe’s game to be so relatable, Chinese fans started delving deeper into other aspects of Kobe’s life, which naturally led them to the “Mamba Mentality.” From the emphasis on hard work to the hatred of losing, Kobe’s mentality resonated extremely well with almost every Chinese teenager at that time given Chinese values and historical contexts, which has further made Kobe’s presence unique among Chinese basketball fans as many of them see Kobe as the embodiment of all of their desired mentality and the motivation for them to work hard. In China, the most popular quote that is supposedly said by Kobe is, “Have you ever seen the scene of Los Angeles at 4 am? I see it often because I have been starting training at that time.” (Sohu) While I am unable to confirm the authenticity of this quote through any plausible U.S. media, many sources have proven that Kobe woke up and started practice at 4 am regularly, and “Los Angeles at 4 am” has therefore become Kobe fans’ symbol of hardworking.

The popularization of this seemingly baseless quote is relevant to the historical context of China as Kobe’s prime in the 2000s coincided with the time when those born in the 1980s and 1990s started watching basketball. People born in these two decades grew up in an era when the dividend of China’s “open and reform” policies was coming to an end. At that time, while the rich were getting richer and thus maintaining the nominal growth of the economy at a high level, many had their parents either losing their jobs as state-owned corporations restructured in response to decreased profit or going bankrupt due to failed investments. Such inequality had led to many’s recognition that they would have to work extra hard given their limited opportunities, and “Mamba Mentality”, which emphasizes clutch performance and the hatred of losing premised upon hard work, had struck them as a motivation under such circumstances (Sports Illustrated). At the time when the internet was rapidly popularizing in China, then-teenage people born in the 80s and 90s became the first internet users, and they regularly post content related to Kobe’s game and mentality, which made him one of the most widely-discussed figures on Chinese websites.

Of course, there are downs sides to the “Mamba Mentality”, and such downsides were quickly exposed as Kobe’s news was spread rapidly on the internet. While being famously self-disciplined, Kobe’s attitude toward teammates was sometimes toxic and he often refused to pass the ball even if he was having a bad night. Such an attitude would often lead to poor team chemistry and was therefore undesirable for the Chinese government that emphasizes collectivism. Unwilling to give up on Kobe’s image despite his exposed flaws, the government took actions that resulted in an interesting shift in dynamics had occurred as the recognition of Kobe had transitioned from a purely individual level to being backed by official propaganda, and Kobe’s increased exposure by state-owned media had further propelled his status as a cultural and mental icon in a uniquely Chinese way.

Traditionally, in addition to the virtues of hard-working and determination, Chinese people also value loyalty and contribution to the greater good. While the former two virtues were more recognized by Kobe’s fans in China on individual levels, the government has also attempted to add the latter two to the characterization of the “Mamba Mentality” as part of its propaganda, in addition to the effort to sugarcoat the undesirable parts of the “Mamba Mentality.” Having spent the entirety of his career in Los Angeles and contributed to charity works in both the U.S. and China, Kobe fits the government’s narrative on loyalty and contribution perfectly. Thus, under the Chinese narrative, Kobe’s attitude towards teammates became a demonstration of his call for a better team effort, and his refusal to pass the ball was formulated as a way of taking up the responsibility to contribute to the team.

Given his already-high popularity and the relatively stable Sino-American relationship in the 2000s and early 2010s, Kobe was then further promoted by China’s official media outlets. At that time, Lakers games were broadcasted on CCTV (China’s state-owned media) more than all teams but the Rockets (where Yao played), and CCTV’s sports news would often spend a long time portraying Kobe’s performance while being more or less critical of LeBron James, who is known for making decisions that benefit himself the most. After Kobe’s death, CCTV, after ceasing broadcasting any NBA-related content since October 2019 due to the pro-Hong Kong Twitter post by the Rockets’ general manager Daryl Morey, made an exception by paying tribute to him. Here, we can see that being chosen as the ambassador of the Sino-American relationship and the embodiment of the Chinese values according to propaganda had further set Kobe apart from all other NBA players, besides the recognition of individual fans.

Adding all these factors together, we may consider the reaction to Kobe’s death on the Chinese internet to be more understandable as it meant the collapse of many people’s tower of strength. Among the comments paying tribute to Kobe, many identified Kobe as their inspiration as people wrote “… Went to hoop by myself today, shooting fadeaway jumpers one after another. Didn’t matter I made it or not, I just wanted to imitate you one last time …” and “Injuries did not take him down, neither will death.” (ESPN) To Chinese fans, the slogan “Mamba never out” does not only imply remembering Kobe as a person but also the effort to keep his mentality as their motivation in darkest times so that they could tough out any hardship facing them, including the pandemic that was mysterious and terrifying back then.

Whether you are a “Ke Mi” or a “Ke Hei” (the nickname of Kobe haters in China), you must admit that Kobe’s presence in China is phenomenal. Being a mostly exclusive civilization throughout history, it is so rare for so many Chinese people to endow all their desired characteristics to a foreign figure, and such a rarity can only be explained by the combined dynamics of value, historical contexts, and political propaganda. For Chinese people, there might be another Messi or another Ronaldo sooner or later, as they never hesitate to applaud a person due to his or her achievement and talent. But at least to me, I cannot see the making of another Kobe as it requires so many coincidences and has to be so perfect a fit to Chinese values that have been robust in history. As such, due to the dynamics that resulted in the unique combination of the globalization of sport with the localization of values, there can be no word better than “irreplicable” that characterizes Kobe’s status in China, before and after his death.

Reference

Li, Cheng and Wang Qiuyang. “Kobe Bryant and his enduring impact on the Sino-American friendship.” The Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/kobe-bryant-and-his-enduring-impact-on-the-sino-american-friendship/

Zillgitt, Jeff. “How Kobe Bryant helped China grow into basketball-crazed nation.” USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/lakers/2020/02/20/kobe-bryant-nba-legend-used-yearly-china-visits-grow-brand-game/4821386002/

“Ke Bi Ming Yan: Ni Jian Guo Ling Chen Si Dian De Luo Shan Ji Ma? (Kobe’s Famous Quote: Have you ever seen the scene of Los Angeles at 4 am?)” Sohu. https://www.sohu.com/a/418155903_479658#:~:text=%E8%BF%99%E5%8F%A5%E8%AF%9D%E6%9C%89%E4%B8%80%E6%AE%B5,starting%20training%20at%20that%20time.%E2%80%9D

Ballard, Chris. “Kobe’s Well-Honed Killer Instinct.” Sports Illustrated. https://www.si.com/more-sports/2008/05/27/kobe0602

Wang, Kevin. ““Mamba Never Out”: China mourns Kobe Bryant’s death, celebrates legacy.” ESPN. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28577267/mamba-never-china-mourns-kobe-bryant-death-celebrates-legacy