Basketball fans around the world on Sunday were grief-stricken as Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
The NBA did not cancel games Sunday, but it did postpone Tuesday night's game between the Lakers and Clippers, according to a Monday report from ESPN. Bryant played for the Lakers for 20 seasons, and both teams are based in Bryant's home of Los Angeles.
Postponing the game was the right move. However, given how much Kobe and Gianna influenced the world of basketball, the NBA should have canceled all games on Sunday. Moving forward, the NBA should allow every team to postpone games for the week so players and fans can grieve.
The Lakers-Clippers game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Staples Center, the Lakers' home arena in Los Angeles. The NBA has not announced a new date as of 11 p.m. Tuesday.
Considering Kobe and Gianna's wide-ranging influence and the amount of sadness expressed by the national basketball community, postponing one game is not enough.
Bryant was an incredible and larger-than-life figure who forever changed many lives in the NBA and around the world. On the court, he was a 17-time All-Star, five-time NBA Champion, 2008 MVP and Oscar winner for his short movie “Dear Basketball." Most importantly, Bryant was a husband, father and inspiration to millions around the world.
Many throughout the NBA community have been devastated by Bryant's passing. Former teammates and rivals took the time on social media and during games Sunday to pay their respects to the player they affectionately referred to as Black Mamba. A more somber response was a video of Lebron James’ real-time reaction to the news of Bryant’s passing, in which it appeared he was crying.
Gianna was a role model for young people, especially girls in basketball, and deserves to be mourned nationally, too. She was following in her father’s footsteps as a talented basketball player with aspirations to enter the WNBA. Gianna and her father leave a legacy as champions for women in basketball. Kobe told CNN last month that he supported letting women join the NBA.
Looking from the outside, we don’t truly know the battles that people face every day, and the grief over Bryant's death might burden the mental health of players and fans. As the NBA has now focused on addressing the mental health of players and staff, it’s important the league stays true to its new initiative. The league's positive steps to support the mental health have included requiring licensed team psychologists and writing action plans to help those who experience panic attacks or incidents of anxiety.
After not canceling Sunday's games, the NBA should do more to prioritize the mental health of its players and staff this week.
In particular, the NBA should allow players, coaches and fans to have time to grieve and adequately honor the life of Black Mamba and those who have followed his path. To ensure the players and fans can properly grieve and come to terms with his passing, it would be appropriate for the NBA to allow for a week of mourning.
Rescheduling games, of course, will be a challenge. The NBA should try to reschedule games for the first few days of the All-Star break to make sure that every team can play all 82 regular-season games. If the logistics of a league-wide moratorium are impossible, the NBA should at least offer the week off to any organization that requests it.
In that time we can all reflect on Bryant's legacy by watching his highlights, interviews or movie. Or we can head to the courts and shoot from downtown yelling “Kobe!” Even though Bryant has left us, the Black Mamba and his Mamba Mentality live on.
Aditya Giridhar (he/him) is a senior studying law and public policy. He plans to go to law school and travel the world.
