Snoop Dogg Pays Musical Tribute To Kobe And Gianna Bryant At 2020 ESPYs
Snoop Dogg paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, during a touching performance at the ESPYs on Sunday. During the tribute, Snoop rapped over a montage of some of Bryant’s most memorable moments in the NBA. Bryant and his daughter died in a helicopter crash in January, along with seven others. Prior to his death, Bryant had retired from the Los Angeles Lakers, where he played for 20 seasons.
In addition to moments from his career, the montage also captured some of the murals depicting both father and daughter that have popped up around Los Angeles in the months since his death. Clips of Bryant playing with legends like Michael Jordan were featured in the montage, as were some of the most impressive shots and dunks from his career.
The presentation also highlighted the NBA championships he won as a Laker, as well as the gold medals he earned as a member of the U.S. Olympic basketball team. The video reinforced how much Bryant had meant to the city of Los Angeles over the course of his career.
When SportsCenter tweeted out the video of the tribute, fans were eager to express their gratitude for the touching clips.
From one LA legend to another, gone too soon.@SnoopDogg pays tribute to Kobe ??? pic.twitter.com/9X2P1ldoQC
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 22, 2020
“Thank you Snoop Dogg for paying tribute [to] Kobe. Kobe was not only a great basketball but a great father and human being. Snoop Dogg loved Kobe like a brother. We miss him,” one user wrote.
“This tribute is heartwarming! Kobe meant everything to our city, no matter what he did on and off the court. I still can’t fathom that he’s not here anymore on earth,” a second person remarked.
Others were mourning Bryant.
“Some days I forget Kobe is really gone. A life and legacy that lives on so strong. There will never be another like him,” another fan wrote in the comments.
“Watching Kobe play since 98. Still hits hard,” a fourth individual remarked.
During his time as a Laker, Bryant accumulated five NBA championships. The Lakers won three consecutive titles — from 2000 to 2002 — with Bryant, as well as two additional championships in 2009 and 2010.
Snoop’s tribute to the late basketball legend was not the first time that the ESPYs have chosen to honor Bryant. In 2016, he won the ESPY Icon Award along with Peyton Manning and Abby Wambach. In his speech, Bryant emphasized that talent wasn’t the only thing that had gotten him there, saying that he, Manning, and Wambach had all worked incredibly hard to get to the top of their respective sports, according to Pop Culture.
