Why is a make-up TikTok artist facing backlash over NBA legend Kobe Bryant? Taking a closer look

More than three years after his unfortunate death, Kobe Bryant remains one of the NBA’s most popular names. A TikTok artist made a video of herself using make-up to turn her face into an uncanny resemblance to the LA Laker great.

The attempt to recreate Bryant’s face was supposed to be an act of honoring the iconic basketball player. She captioned her video with:

“Kobe is forever in my heart. Limitation makeup not imitating people just respect.”

View on TikTok

@easy_baobo, however, was mostly ripped on social media. Hordes of fans called her a “blackface.” The critics couldn’t believe that she would dishonor the legend to such a degree. Some even urged her to read the description of what she did to prevent her from committing the same supposedly grievous mistake.

Per Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, the word means "dark makeup worn to mimic the appearance of a Black person and especially to mock or ridicule Black people."

Some have defended her, though. They argue that she couldn’t have honored Bryant in the way she wanted to without darkening her skin.

In the video, the TikTok influencer worked on her nose first, putting on some kind of clay to make her nose bigger than what she has. She then worked on the texture of her skin, including the arms and hands. Even the beard, which was starting to turn white, was artistically replicated.

The artist gave a dramatic show by removing her hoodie to reveal Kobe Bryant wearing a Laker uniform.

Some fans who didn’t find anything wrong with what she did, pointed out that she didn’t design a caricature that was created with malice.

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Most players found Kobe Bryant’s work ethic to be inimitable

Many have tried to imitate Kobe Bryant’s work ethic and unending quest to be better. Some have admitted that they just couldn’t quite cut it.

Bryant had this insatiable hunger to be the best player that he could ever be. He would work on his game for hours and then do weight training when others had all but given up.

Most players who had the chance to be around him called his work ethic legendary. In the “Redeem Team” documentary, LeBron James had this to say about “KB24:”

"This motherf****r Kobe was already drenched in sweat, and we was like, ‘Yeah, he different.'”

Based on the accounts of a few of Kobe Bryant’s teammates, the five-time champion would often stay in the gym while others have gone out. He would also usually be the first to arrive in practice.

Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant’s legendary teammate, once admitted that “KB24’s” work ethic was just otherworldly. Shaq never thought for a second that he could match what Bryant did behind the scenes to make himself better.

Bryant’s face might be easier to draw, paint or replicate but his work ethic is certainly not for everyone.

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