After Bryant’s death, the most successful and powerful athletes in America showed their raw emotions to huge television audiences, marking a sharp break from the stereotype that men — and especially “macho athletes” — aren’t supposed to cry. “Men should be emotional when something hits your heart,” James told Sports Illustrated. “When something feels a certain way, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be emotional about it. The emotion comes from, especially in this instance, somebody who has paved the way and done so many great things in our sport.”