NBA games have attracted the attention of Chinese fans for a long time. Generations of great stars have accompanied the youth of many Chinese boys. When it comes to the influence of NBA stars in China, there is one person who has firmly held the number one position for many years. It is not Jordan or James, but Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant’s career almost coincided with the NBA entering China, becoming the first superstar familiar to most Chinese people. Over the years, he has been to China for business activities, donated money to disaster-stricken areas in China, and done charity work, and has developed a deep friendship with Chinese fans. Despite this, many people still question Kobe's popularity in China, so let's experience it through the following four things.

1. The trip to China was sensational.

Almost every famous NBA star will have a trip to China, but few can make the trip to China as spectacular as Kobe Bryant’s. Wherever Kobe went, the whole street was packed with people. No matter far or near, they were shouting at Kobe, and even shouted in unison: MVP!

The crazy fans are not just passers-by. Many celebrities such as Jay Chou, Zhang Ziyi, Xu Qing, Zhang Liangying, and even Jackie Chan and Jaycee Chan are fans of Kobe. They have all warmly received Kobe and can entertain in most of China. Everyone in the circle has friends, but Kobe is the only one.

2. The Beijing Olympics was extremely popular

In 2008, Kobe’s career reached its peak, attracting more and more Chinese fans. That year, the Dream Team visited Beijing to participate in the Olympics. This is a testament to Kobe’s popularity back then.

At the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, when the athlete representatives from each country took their seats, live cameras showed the athletes one by one. But among the thousands of people, only Kobe Bryant appeared on the screen. Applause and cheers broke out continuously. When the camera switched, the scene instantly became quiet again.

Many years later, Wade once again recalled in an interview that during the Beijing Olympics, after the Dream Team's special plane arrived, Wade, James, Kobe, Anthony and others got off the plane at the same time, but the fans bypassed James. Wei and others went straight to Kobe, embarrassing the others.

3. The retirement battle caused a sensation

On April 14, 2016, Beijing time, under the spotlight, Kobe Bryant ushered in the last game of his career. At that time, the tickets for the Lakers home court The prices are so high that one VIP ticket can even buy a suite in Beijing. On the other side of the ocean, in China, the live video broadcast of this game also attracted much attention.

There was such an interesting scene back then. In a Chinese Internet cafe, Internet-addicted teenagers who usually played games actually watched the live broadcast of this game. This scene was particularly thought-provoking.

And that day happened to be a working day, and many workaholics and students even risked being absent from work and classes to watch the game secretly. After school that day, in a school cafeteria in my country, so many students gathered to watch a small TV.

4. His unexpected death is remembered by thousands of people

Perhaps Kobe’s greatness has moved God. In the early morning of January 27, 2020, Beijing time, Kobe and his daughter died in a helicopter accident. Left this world forever.

After learning the news, many Chinese fans woke up crying. For a time, Chinese fans commemorated Kobe in different ways. Some people put on their beloved Kobe jerseys, some cried while holding Kobe's posters, and some fans even had Kobe's back tattooed on their bodies. I know they wouldn't be like this if the star who died wasn't Kobe.

my country's media have even published articles to commemorate him. The People's Daily published four updates that day to pay tribute to Kobe: Forever four o'clock in the morning, love will last forever.

There is no doubt that Kobe Bryant is the most popular NBA star in China. His influence on Chinese fans is no longer just about basketball. His Mamba spirit has become a lesson that a generation will always remember.