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The world – not just basketball fans – was shocked by the news that legendary NBA player Kobe Bryant had passed away at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash over the weekend in southern California alongside his 13-year-old daughter.
Is Justin Sun Capitalizing on the Death of Kobe Bryant?
Among those feeling the pain of Bryant’s death is the CEO of TRON Justin Sun. The cryptocurrency and blockchain entrepreneur took to Twitter to announce that the next niTROn Summit would be held in his honor. Bryant is alleged to have been part of the “TRON family” given that he was a guest speaker at the summit in 2019.
The TRON Foundation recently wrote:
Kobe Bryant, 41, the legendary basketball star who spent 20 years with the LA Lakers, passed away today. Kobe is a member of the TRON family. As such, we will be dedicating @niTROnSummit’s festivities to his legendary life and legacy. Please share your favorite Kobe memories here.
However, Sun and TRON are being accused by some members of the crypto space of trying to capitalize on the passing of Bryant to boost the reputation of TRON, which some label a “failing cryptocurrency.”
One such person is a Twitter user who goes by the name “Verge Canada.” In a particularly scathing message, Verge writes at Justin Sun:
You are a sick individual @JustinSunTron, to try to #capitalize off a death of a hero, his daughter, and the others on board. Come at me brother, because 99 percent of the world has heart, and you are the one percent. Grow up and listen with your ears and not your mouth.
Bryant agreed to be a speaker at TRON’s niTROn Summit in San Francisco, CA in 2019. At the time, Sun stated he was a huge admirer of Bryant’s tenacity, strength on the court and investing prowess. He complimented the basketball player’s intelligence and endurance, commenting in an interview:
I have been a huge fan of Kobe and deeply inspired by his journey. It’s my great honor to have Kobe as our special guest for the niTROn Summit. It’s worth mentioning that Kobe Bryant is not only a basketball genius, but also an investment genius. We look forward to hearing his great speeches at the summit.
Overmarketing at It’s Finest
Where Sun seems to be rubbing people the wrong way, however, is in his marketing tactics. Crypto writer Ben Brown scoffed at Sun’s mentioning of Bryant in the TRON Foundation’s latest tweet, considering the CEO has potentially acted like news was more important than it was, manipulated facts or presented them in a distorted way.
One such example was an alleged $4.5 million lunch with the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett. This lunch never happened despite weeks of talking about the event and the idea that Sun would potentially turn Buffett into a BTC believer.