Streak is to 100 boiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee!

I pulled out 34A N.B.A. legend nicknamed “Black Mamba”: KOBE because it reminds me of when I found out that Kobe died. It was bizarre. Calah and I were at my dining room table. Her phone chimed. A message from her brother read something to the effect of “Kobe just died in a helicopter crash.” It sounded absurd. Frist of all, Kobe doesn’t die. Second, in a helicopter crash? Third, how can her brother know before we do when he lives in Israel? Of course, it turned out to be true, but it made no sense. Also it’s interesting that this is 34, the number of his rival on the team, Shaquille O”Neal.

Theme!

17A Genre for Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle: CROWCROWCROWMYSTERY -> [CROW][CROW][CROW]MYSTERY -> MURDER MYSTERY.
22A June: LIONLIONLIONMONTH ->[LION][LION][LION]MONTH -> PRIDE MONTH.
51A Early 19th-century Australia, for one: PENALANTANTANT -> PENAL[ANT][ANT][ANT] -> PENAL COLONY.

60A Intellectual conformity … or a hint to interpreting 17-, 22- and 51-Across: GROUPTHINK. It’s too bad they didn’t do another crossover with the Spelling Bee and have HIVEMIND. But Wordle has replaced the Spelling Bee as all the rage.

Finished this one in 19:39.