Do athletes and celebrities have to be nice to their fans? : Kobe Bryant Gets Cussed Out By Angry Mother Who Said He Ignored Her Teenage Son One Day and Then Donates Jersey to Teenage Brother of Police Shooting Victim Another Day

By: Jarrod Horton 

Staff Writer

Last week former NBA stars Scottie Pippen and Kobe Bryant were the subject of a rant from an angry  mother. She claimed that the two ignored her son and other teenagers who attended a basketball camp at the same hotel they were staying at. She called them all types of names that I won’t repeat, but if you want to hear it, the video is below.

 After I watched her explain her side of the story; I must say I kind of disagree with her argument. I mean I do understand her rationale of being more compassionate to those who looked up to you. But on the other hand, I feel like athletes and celebs don’t have to be nice to their fans and supporters. In my opinion, they don’t even have to acknowledge their fans. Of course common sense should make them realize that these are the people that help them reach fame and success and keep them relevant. However, I don’t feel like they are obligated. I think it is their choice on how they want to interact with people. By the same token, the fans have a choice on whether they want to support these people or not.

Which brings me back to Kobe Bryant and Scottie Pippen. I’m not sure how nice these guys are in person, because I never met them. I do know, it was recently reported that Kevon Edwards, the older brother of Jordan Edwards received a phone call and a signed jersey from Kobe Bryant on his birthday. Jordan was shot and killed by Balch Springs police officer Roy Oliver last month. The gesture was first class and I’m sure it is something the kid probably remember forever. Those type of acts of kindness only adds to the positive image of a famous person. While incidents describe by the mother can possibly take away some of their popularity.

My point is, I’m sure these people have to pick and choose who and what they support. Maybe they can’t pose for pictures and sign autographs all day. I’m not trying to defend them; I’m simply just trying to put myself in their position and understand their reasoning. I can imagine that some people are just total assholes, no matter what the circumstances are, but sometimes it may be a case of people be overwhelm with being a celebrity. With that being said, do you think that celebrities are obligated to be nice to their fans and supporters? Leave your comments below

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *