LITERATURE REVIEW
With so much data on Twitter that is readily available, sentiment analysis studies have become popular across many different industries. This type of project typically takes large amounts of text and analyzes it word-by-word to determine if the overall conversation for a specific topic is positive or negative. It can also be modified to analyze personality types of users based on how they tweet (Harrington). However, there is a gap in the field when it comes to using the general public’s tweets to make inferences about movie stars, singers, and athletes.
When star athletes or celebrities pass away society tries to determine the legacy that they left behind. While it is unclear if a similar project to this has been done, I am hoping to use Twitter data to examine how people felt about Kobe Bryant and try to determine what his legacy was.
“Legacy means developing and passing on a timeless part of yourself.” It takes into account a person’s accomplishments and disappointments to create a “community that remembers its history to build its future” (Bosak). For celebrities, the impact can be much larger. Given their platform, their actions in life can help inspire and lead others. With so many factors contributing towards one person’s legacy, it can often be complex to understand.
For example, Bryant had one of the most successful NBA careers in the history of Basketball. He was a once-in-a-generation player, with 18 All-Star appearances, 15 All-Pro selections, five NBA Championships titles, and he ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 33,643 points. Many basketball fans and players look up to him as an inspiration because of his talent on the court (Hoffman).
But his success didn’t come without controversy. Early in his career, he was viewed as an arrogant player and was accused of sexual assault in 2003. His case went on for months, and many people spoke out against Bryant after he settled the case out of court because they felt as though he was guilty (NPR).
These are obviously the two extremes in Kobe’s life, and both may have played a significant role in the way that people remember him. I hope, that with the help of users on Twitter, I can track and report the most common words that are used to describe Kobe Bryant and use them to determine his legacy.