For the last month, basketball lovers around the world have paid tribute to NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and the seven other people who lost their lives in a helicopter crash on January 26th. An especially iconic figure in Los Angeles, Kobe was an inspiration to athletes and fans everywhere. Let’s look back on some of the beautiful ways people have honored the late Lakers great Kobe Bryant in the last month.
Purple and Gold
In the days following the tragedy, landmarks across LA lit up in Lakers colors to honor Kobe Bryant. City Hall, Grand Park, Union Station, the LAX Gateway Pylons, The Forum, and more glowed purple and gold. Similar tributes could be seen in San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, and even Dubai.
Nationwide Murals
Over the last month, artists have painted more than 150 murals in Los Angeles and beyond to honor Kobe and Gigi. Luckily, finding the many murals got a lot easier with the help of kobemural.com and their interactive map. Check out their site for addresses and photos.
Awards Shows
Just hours after the accident, Alicia Keys and Boyz II Men hosted the 62nd GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center. They opened the show with a performance of “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” in honor of Kobe and the others lost in the crash.
Two weeks later, the 92nd Academy Awards honored him at the beginning of their yearly In Memoriam segment. A photo of Kobe Bryant holding the Oscar he won for his animated short film “Dear Basketball” accompanied his quote: “Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going.” Legendary director Spike Lee wore a purple and gold Gucci suit embroidered with Kobe’s number as he presented the Oscar for Best Director to Bong Joon-ho.
A Celebration of Life: Kobe & Gianna Bryant
The event took place on Monday at the STAPLES Center. The date, 2/24/20, honored Gianna and Kobe’s numbers, and his 20 years with the Lakers. 20,000 people attended the sold-old memorial and proceeds from ticket sales were donated to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. Performances by Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Christina Aguilera accompanied tearful eulogies from Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s fellow NBA legends Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal, and other friends and family.
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Featured photo: A memorial near STAPLES Center on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, in Los Angeles. Photo: Michael Owen Baker, AP Photo via Washington Times.
