The below excerpt (from an interview with The New Yorker) shows Kobe Bryant’s stance on Trayvon Martin (this was brought up following this photo, which showed the Miami Heat showing support of the Martin case):
“I won’t react to something just because I’m supposed to, because I’m an African-American,” he said. “That argument doesn’t make any sense to me. So we want to advance as a society and a culture, but, say, if something happens to an African-American we immediately come to his defense? Yet you want to talk about how far we’ve progressed as a society? Well, we’ve progressed as a society, then don’t jump to somebody’s defense just because they’re African-American. You sit and you listen to the facts just like you would in any other situation, right? So I won’t assert myself.”
The below breakdown of what has happened since the comments were made were spotted on Tavern Keepers:
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The Urban Daily called Bryant a jerk and added “Over the span of Kobe Bryant‘s career… we’ve seen him do and say some very smug, cavalier and even cornball things at times but the comments that he made regarding the Miami Heat’s support after Trayvon Martin was killed… by far takes the cake!”
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The director of Project Islamic H.O.P.E. called for a boycott of Bryant.
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The managing editor of NewsOne Now took to Twitter to slam Bryant as being part of the “Michael Jordan School of Don’t Say Jack, Don’t Do Jack. Just Cash Checks. Man, please”
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This is in addition to other individual criticism on Twitter, Instagram, etc.
Above, Kobe stands his ground via his Twitter. This is a funny country, man.
