Comic-Con Attendee Sparks Outrage, Wears Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash Costume

Kobe Bryant tragically passed away on January 26, 2020, at the age of 41, in a helicopter crash alongside eight other people. The crash occurred while he was traveling with his daughter, Gianna who also passed away, and others to a basketball game.

The world continues to mourn the NBA star and his daughter, with many paying tributes on the anniversary of his death, on his birthday, and on his daughter's birthday.

Four years later, a man attending a Comic-Con in China opted to wear a Kobe Bryant helicopter crash costume to the event, which has sparked outrage.

On January 26, 2020, Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant passed away alongside his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that pilot error caused the crash, as he flew in foggy conditions and likely became disoriented. The crash shocked fans worldwide, with many tributes held, including a public memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

In addition to Kobe and his daughter Gianna, there were seven other people on board the helicopter who also died. These included John Altobelli (a baseball coach), his wife and daughter, another basketball family (Christina Mauser and Payton Chester), and the pilot Ara Zobayan.

Warning: The following video may contain offensive behavior and may not be appropriate for all audiences. 

A video is making its rounds on social media, which shows the individual wearing what looks to be a handmade costume made out of plastic bottles and cardboard to create a helicopter. There is also a No. 24 uniform and a Kobe Bryant mask.

John-Carlos Estrada shared the video of the Comic-Con attendee, writing, "Tasteless! A man who attended a recent comic convention in China wore a Kobe Bryant helicopter crash costume to the event, which sparked a ton of outrage here in the States."

Estrada added, "The offensive ensemble used plastic bottles, cardboard, a No. 24 uniform, and a Kobe mask."

Social media users did not hesitate to attack the attendee for his "offensive" Kobe Bryant costume, with one user writing, "That's vile. It honestly hurts my heart to see this. I hope the person feels shame and regret for this 'costume.'"

Another X user expressed, "Nothing is funny about any of the women, men, or children that lost their lives in that helicopter crash. I have nothing else to say that would be remotely positive regarding this."

"They out of line and disrespectful for this mockery of Kobe," a third social media user said after seeing the video.

Others called the individual wearing the Kobe Bryant helicopter costume "sick" and "disrespectful."

Thousands of more comments followed, backing Kobe Bryant and slamming the Comic-Con attendee. "WTF is wrong with people?" one user said. "People are trash; they wouldn’t be doing it if that was their loved one," another wrote.

"I’m unsure why anyone would wear a Kobe Bryant helicopter crash costume, but here we are," another said.

"Lakers fans in the world, please remember this ugly face!" one X user said. "A cosplayer mimicked NBA star Kobe Bryant's plane crash during a recent comic-con in Hangzhou, China. No one stopped the scene, but some people called [it] genius. There were also people playing the medical examiner."

One user wants the individual to be "punished" for mocking the late Kobe Bryant.

"Why would someone have the audacity to disrespect the memory of #KobeBryant and the victims of that tragedy?" they asked. "This person should be punished."

"The most disgusting and disrespectful thing I saw on the Internet today-somebody at a comic con event made a Kobe Bryant helicopter costume!?" another expressed. "That is a tragedy that took several lives! I don't see the humor or the point in making let alone wearing a costume like this! Wtf!"