Andrea Thabet, Ph.D. Civic Leadership, Future of Cities, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Magazine, Pandemic, Uncategorized

Kobe Bryant’s Death gave us a real “LA Moment”

Last January, Los Angeles was reeling from the news of Kobe Bryant’s sudden and tragic death, as well as the deaths of eight others. At the time, it felt like we were marinating in the shock of it all - the unspeakable tragedies of life gone too soon, the knowledge it could have been prevented, and the death of a legend just beginning to build his post-career legacy. A colleague remarked to me that Kobe was “giving us a real LA moment.” Her words resonated with me, and I’ve been mulling over why this statement struck a chord with me. What was it about Kobe’s death that made for an ‘LA moment’?