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Makeshift 'Kobe Bryant Park' Tribute Goes Up In Subway Station
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 27, 2020
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Elizabeth Kim / Gothamist
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 27, 2020
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A makeshift tribute to Kobe Bryant has gone up at the Bryant Park subway station, reading simply "Kobe Bryant Park." The sign greeted commuters on Monday morning, less than 24 hours after his unexpected death. It's on the 7 train platform.
This is one of many tributes to the basketball star that have gone up around the country (surely, with more to come), including last night's light tribute at the Garden during the Knicks game. Bryant famously scored 61-points during a game at MSG in 2009, a Garden record at the time.
Elizabeth Kim / Gothamist
The 41-year-old died on Sunday in a helicopter crash in California which left no survivors. He was killed alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, basketball coach Christina Mauser, college baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and their daughter Alyssa. Mother and daughter Sarah and Payton Chester, as well as the pilot, Ara Zobayan, were also killed.
Among the many written tributes to Bryant is this exceptional piece from Charles P. Pierce, who channels Jim Carroll ("In basketball, you can correct your mistakes immediately and beautifully, and in midair") to delve into Bryant's life and legacy: "how you will come to measure his life has to be judged by how deeply you believe that he corrected his grievous fault through the life he lived afterwards."
This isn't the first time New Yorkers have paid respects through a subway tribute. On the anniversary of his death this month, a David Bowie tribute went up at the Broadway-Lafayette station. In 2018, a DIY Aretha Franklin tribute went up at two Franklin stops in Manhattan in Brooklyn—the former was made permanent by the MTA.
We've reached out to the MTA to see if they will consider leaving this tribute to Bryant up, at least for a little while. MTA communications director Tim Minton told Gothamist, "Signs and other visual displays on MTA property are subject to prior approval. We are reviewing the Bryant Park station postings and will determine appropriate action based on available NYC Transit resources."
According to MTA sources, it’s not likely that anything will happen to the small tribute for several days.
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tribute
bryant park
subway
kobe bryant
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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