An event or moment · 2020 · Sport
Kobe Bryant
Public mourning for an athlete that drew on the athlete's own stated bond with a young fan.
The clearest documented case of a parasocial bond being reciprocated deliberately for decades and then cashed in publicly after death. The fans were not being had; they were being shown the receipt.
This entry is real. The citation has not been checked by a human yet — treat the date as approximate until it is.
Also in this section
Identification with a team1880 · A mechanism or tacticThe coach1900 · A mechanism or tacticThe transfer1900 · A mechanism or tacticThe athlete and the city1920 · A mechanism or tacticThe local news anchor1950 · A mechanism or tacticThe holiday special1978 · A work
Timelines this appears in