Musicians and performers at the Grammy Awards paid tribute to Kobe Bryant on January 26 at his former home arena — the Staples Center in Los Angeles. This came hours after the National Basketball Association (NBA) great was killed some 40 miles (65 kilometres) away in a helicopter crash.
Bryant, 41, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other people died on January 26 morning when the helicopter they were riding in went down in heavy fog and hilly terrain in suburban Calabasas, northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
"Tonight is for Kobe," pop star Lizzo announced as she took the stage to open the Grammy Awards before performing exuberant versions of her hits "Cuz I Love You" and "Truth Hurts" to a standing ovation.
"We are all feeling crazy sadness right now, because earlier today Los Angeles, America and the whole wide world lost a hero and we are literally standing here, heartbroken, in the house that Kobe Bryant built," Alicia Keys, the show's host, said in remarks to open the show.
Keys then brought members of the Boyz II Men on stage to join them in an a capella version of their ballad "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye," dedicated to Bryant.
The show was being broadcast from the Staples Center, home court for the Los Angeles Lakers, where Bryant starred for two decades as one of the NBA's all-time greatest players.
"It’s a real tough day and we want to send our love to the families, the kids, the mothers,” performer DJ Khaled said backstage. "It’s hard to catch a vibe right now at this moment but we are going to do it."
Teen pop star Billie Eilish, a Los Angeles native nominated for six Grammy awards on the night, posted a photo of Bryant on her Instagram account, along with a video clip of the basketball star Bryant talking with Gianna.
Bryant is survived by wife Vanessa, with whom he had four daughters.
He won five NBA championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers and was the face of the franchise during his 20-year career.
He averaged 25 points during his career and twice led the NBA in scoring.
Bryant was an 18-times NBA All-Star who wore the jersey numbers 24 and 8 — both of which were retired by the Lakers — and continued the 'Showtime' tradition of the storied franchise that has been home to the likes of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal.
The fourth-highest scorer in NBA history with 33,643 points, Bryant only gave up the third spot on the list on Saturday night to LeBron James.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
