A recent documentary special on the late Kobe Bryant is confusing fans. Not so much for the content itself, which focuses on the NBA star who died tragically on Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash, but over its availability on streaming. The special, Kobe Bryant: The Death of a Legend initially aired the night of his death on ABC and, as noted by Decider, was available to stream on Hulu the following day.
The hour-long special is hosted by Good Morning America anchors Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan, which features reporting on the details surrounding the helicopter crash as well as interviews with basketball players and people who knew Bryant. Still, the immediacy of the production was off-putting to some.
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“How is there already a Kobe memorial documentary on Hulu,” tweeted one fan. “This s— is f—ed, [please] give it a SECOND.”
“I already know I’m not emotionally stable enough to watch it yet,” another wrote that.
A third pleaded to “let me cope damnit,” while another added just days after the accident that “It hasn’t been a week….”
While some are having trouble adjusting to the thought of watching a memorial special on someone who’d only died unexpectedly a few days prior, others are simply perplexed over how the production could’ve come together so fast.
“But can someone explain how does Kobe Bryant pass away and then like two or three days later there’s already a series about him on Hulu though,” another fan asked.
“Hulu already has a doc on Kobe’s life and death hours right after he died,” yet another pointed out, adding, “Like, how?”
Bryant was killed around 10 a.m. PT on Jan. 26 when a helicopter he’d chartered crashed into some terrain near Calabasas, California. According to eyewitness reports, the craft was flying irregularly prior to the crash, while local pilots have theorized that the pilot may have misjudged the mountainous terrain he was flying over. Officials have also speculated that the helicopter may have missed clearing the hillside it crashed into by only 20 to 30 feet.
Along with Bryant, other victims include his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, along with passengers Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, John Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli and Christina Mauser and the helicopter’s pilot, Ara Zobayan. The cause of the crash is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
