Legacies.
when we discuss legacies, we usually brush broad strokes over the tapestry. we tend to emphasize the good, & minimize the bad. i mean, i get it. it’s fair to want someone’s legacy to encompass the good that they did or left behind. but legacies can be complicated.
in our haste to brush a man’s legacy with broad black & white strokes, we hide the gray. the bad. the finite details that make a larger than life figure seem...fallible.
when we set our intentions solely on magnifying the good, we simultaneously silence survivors by minimizing their experiences.
we can honor his legacy in basketball & also allow space to reconcile with the mistakes he made that have lasting effects on those he hurt directly & indirectly.
to most, he is a sports icon, legend, & hero. to a select few, he is a painful reminder of their worst life experience, & how minute the consequences are for men, especially those of influence.
his legacy is complicated. no more broad strokes.
I think it is as important as recognizing that celebrities are imperfect and everything they do may or may not be forgivable to all. When you see them as human, you acknowledge their flaws and some flaws should be remembered and learned from.
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