In the wake of the devastating loss of Kobe Bryant in a tragic helicopter crash, the world has witnessed the vulnerability of many NBA players who suddenly lost their hero.
In fact, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, who was a close friend to Bryant, was seen letting the tears fall just 5 days after Bryant’s death during an emotional rendition of the National Anthem by Boyz II Men.
James explained why it’s okay for men to cry in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Melissa Rohlin, stating, “Men should be emotional when something hits your heart.”
“When something feels a certain way, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be emotional about it. The emotion comes from, especially in this instance, somebody who has paved the way and done so many great things in our sport,” James said, speaking on not only a hero that he looked up to, but a good friend as well.
NBA legend, Michael Jordan, who has fallen victim to becoming a meme on social media for crying in 2009 at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony, also spoke about expressing his emotions recently at Kobe and Gianna’s memorial.
“Now he’s got me,” Jordan in reference to Bryant’s untimely passing. “Now I have to look at another crying meme for the next 3-4 years. That’s how much Kobe meant to me.”
Following Bryant’s passing, former Laker players and good friends with Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Jerry West showcased their emotions on national television. O’Neal stated that he was experiencing the “sharpest” pain he had felt in a while as he tried to hold back tears as West let it out while saying, “I don’t know if I can get over this, I really don’t.”
Mychal Thompson, who achieved two NBA Championships with the Lakers, addressed his peers, letting their guard down to be vulnerable with the world as they grieve makes them “human.”
“They’re showing the example that it’s okay to let your emotions out and not keep them all hidden inside,” he said. “It doesn’t make you less of a man to show in public your emotions. It shows you’re a human.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
John Callaghan, retired professor of biological sciences who also has a PhD in the socio-psychology of sport, explained why it’s okay for men to cry.
“For years and years, we had to refrain and restrain ourselves, and it wasn’t good to show what our inner feelings were like. We had to be manly and bottle everything up. Things have changed. Our society has changed,” Callaghan stated to the outlet.
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