This article talks about Kobe Bryant and how that even though he may not be a sports fan, Kobe has made a tremendous impact on the world. The first time I heard of Kobe was not through sports, but instead through Counter Strike. In that game, whenever someone gets a grenade kill, it is called a Kobe. Thus, even though I have never watched a single game of basketball on Tv, Kobe has still impacted my life.
He then talks about Kobe having influenced society a lot even though he was just a professional athlete. He states “the greats of each sport are uplifted as if they were gods/goddesses. Millions of dollars are invested in them. Big athletic brands also invest in them. It’s crazy to think about how seriously sports are now taken these days.” It is insane how athletes are treated like they are beyond human, but nowadays, I find the same thing happening to professional video game players.
Throughout the history of Super Smash Bros, some players were treated as gods. There were the gods of Super Smash Bros Melee who constantly dominated tournaments for years. There was Nairo, the undisputed best player in Super Smash Bros Brawl. Currently in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, there is Mkleo. However, out of all these games, there is one man who dominated a game. For an entire year, no one could beat him. He had the longest streak of consecutive tournament wins in Super Smash Bros history and even now, no one has come close.
ZeRo had a 56 consecutive win rate in Super Smash Bros for the Wii U and 3ds and as a result has tremendously impacted the Smash community. Whether the changes as a result of his winstreak were for the better or worse, he has had a lasting impact on Esports. With his multiple wins, he created a dynasty. However, in the recent game Super Smash Bros Ultimate, ZeRo has admitted that he is scared to compete again as he believes he would disappoint his fans and lose his legacy of being the undisputedly best player for the game.
A case of this can be seen in the League of Legends community. While I do not play at a high level in that game, I can constantly see why top players would be stressed. Top League of Legends player Faker is someone I can see as someone who may struggle similarly to ZeRo. Although he still competes at a top level, I constantly hear many people call him “washed” or that his time has gone. This bewilders me as he still is better than 99% of players, yet people still think he is no longer a great.
Some of my knowledge about Faker may be wrong, but I am speaking about my own experiences there. Overall, the lesson to be learned here is that while yes, these athletes are amazing and their accomplishments are amazing, don’t expect them to be beyond human and still celebrate them. These are real human beings who will do human things. Kobe may have passed, but his legacy will still live and most people will look at him as a perfect human being. I don’t think one should think of him as such, but that may just be my thoughts on him due to my lack of knowledge.
Link to blog post that started off this thought process: https://timetraveler1920.travel.blog/blog-feed/
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