Video Touting Kobe Bryant as Under-Appreciated Went Viral Just Hours Before His Death

With the tragic news of Kobe Bryant's death on Sunday morning, NBA fans across the world have been [...]

By John Newby

With the tragic news of Kobe Bryant's death on Sunday morning, NBA fans across the world have been reminiscing about his biggest moments on the court and the impact that he had on the league. Some fans, however, were actually having a similar discussion in the days leading up to the helicopter crash. They actually retweeted a video discussing how Bryant was under-appreciated throughout his career.

The purpose of the highlight montage was to show that Bryant was a very dominant player during his 20 years in the league. He was one of the best players of all-time and had 18 all-star seasons to his name. The belief was that kids today aren't aware of that greatness.

The timing was interesting considering that the video went viral in the hours leading up to Bryant's death. These fans were unaware that a tragic crash would be happening, but they felt that it was the right time to focus on the way in which Bryant performed throughout his career.

In a league dominated by Damian Lillard, LeBron James, Steph Curry and James Harden, it's possible that the younger fans aren't thinking about how Bryant served as a mentor to some of these stars and inspiration for others. They know that he was good, but they didn't see the truly unstoppable version that won five NBA titles.

To prove this point, one individual on Twitter asked why kids stopped yelling "Kobe" before throwing a ball of paper at the garbage can. This was a very common occurrence in classrooms and office buildings around the globe, but that has changed in recent years. The kids either don't yell anything, or they shout "Curry" in reference to the Golden State Warriors star and three-point specialist.

There is no denying that active players such as Curry, Harden, and James are all dominant in their own ways, but fans on social media wanted to make it very clear that Bryant could still be considered one of the most unstoppable forces on the basketball court.

Following his death, this tribute video made the rounds once again but with a decidedly different tone. The fans liked and retweeted the highlight compilation while adding in comments about Bryant's life and his impact on the NBA and Los Angeles.

(Photo Credit: Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

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