A term used to describe a die-hard fan of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who will often go to great lengths to push the narrative of Kobe's GOAT argument. In the process, they will also tend to completely discredit the career of
LeBron James.
This term is a cross-reference between a January 6er (a person who stormed the U.S. Capitol Building in support of then-President
Donald Trump) and
January 26th, Kobe's tragic date of death.
Most January 26ers hail from the city of Los Angeles, but they can realistically live just about anywhere on the map.
They also tend to have a very heavy presence on Twitter/X, and can often be found either retweeting Kobe highlights, or deep in NBA-related threads arguing aggressively in support of their favorite player.
They are also swift to dismiss comparisons to Tim Duncan, as they firmly believe that
Michael Jordan is the only player comparable to Kobe.
(For context, Tim Duncan was Kobe's most significant rival as a player, with both of them winning 5 championships for their respective teams and are both widely regarded as the two faces of the 2000's era of NBA Basketball.)
This term is essentially equivalent to the term "Bronsexual", but to instead be used against Kobe stans.
Important Note: This term is not to be used against ALL fans of Kobe, but only those with an
unnecessary hatred towards LeBron.
Most of them are also completely oblivious to the fact that Kobe and LeBron had nothing but deep respect for each other off the court.