Kobe Bryant Tribute Planned For Academy Awards
A tribute to Kobe Bryant is planned for the 2020 Academy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will acknowledge the death of the basketball legend at the ceremony, which will be held on February 9 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California.
Variety confirmed the NBA great will be added to the “In Memoriam” montage of those honored for their work in the industry, including actors, directors, producers, and others highly regarded for their contribution to the film world who have died since the last Oscars ceremony.
The entertainment publication also revealed that a separate tribute to Bryant may also occur during the ceremony outside his inclusion in the montage of photos.
“We can confirm that he will be acknowledged in the telecast,” an Academy representative stated to Variety.
Shortly after the death of the Lakers great, the Academy’s Instagram page shared a photo of Bryant after his 2018 Oscar win. The caption honored his work in the NBA and his rise to winning the most coveted award in Hollywood.
Fans added their own sentiments to the comments section of the post, sharing their own thoughts on the basketball legend.
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“Legends never die,” penned one fan of the work that Bryant did on and off the field for the game of basketball.
“A true sports icon. Rest in peace KB,” stated a second fan.
“What an incredibly special human he was. It is a sad day for the NBA and for the world. RIP Mamba,” remarked a third fan of the late sports star.
Bryant won his first and only Oscar in 2018 alongside Glen Keane for the short film Dear Basketball.
The Hollywood Reporter shared that Bryant not only voiced the project but wrote and produced the short film as well. The story was based on a letter the basketball star penned at the conclusion of his career in the Players’ Tribune in 2015.
Bryant, 41, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on January 26 when the aircraft crashed into a hillside, killing the basketball star, his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others on board. The reported destination of the chopper was the Mamba Sports Academy, a passion project of the NBA star and where Gianna trained as a player.
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The former NBA player regularly flew in helicopters to avoid traffic in the Los Angeles area and to be able to spend more time with his family. He explained in a 2018 interview with The Corp, available on YouTube, that utilizing a helicopter allowed him to get where he needed to be quickly.
After retiring from the Los Angeles Lakers after a 20-year career and five NBA championships, Kobe made his primary focus on the family he created with wife Vanessa, including their daughters Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, and Capri.
