Photo Credit: Scott Halleran/Getty Image
People memorialized the late Kobe Bryant in everything from performances to sneakers to cars. And they were all 10/10!
This year’s All-Star game was different than ever before. Of course the Basketball community and the world is still very much grieving the loss of Kobe, Gianna and the 7 other lives; but they also completely changed the format in memory of Kobe!
The league decided that for the All-Star game’s fourth-quarter, the first team to 24 points, based on the team with highest score after three quarters, wins. Basically if the score at the end of the third quarter is 100-99, in order to win, which ever team got to 124 points (because the higher of the two scores at the end of the 3rd is 100 points) would be the winner. The last quarter was also not timed at all, it was completely based off the score.
Other tributes included an 8-second moment of silence lead by Magic Johnson in the game opener, performances by Jennifer Hudson, Common and Chance The Rapper. An EPIC tribute video from Dr. Dre shown during the game and Kawhi Leonard took home the recently renamed MVP trophy, now called the “Kobe Bryant MVP Award”. Check it all out below:
Magic Johnson:
.@MagicJohnson leads an 8-second moment of silence for Kobe Bryant and David Stern before the #NBAAllStar game ✊ pic.twitter.com/WM7o6kiaTF
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2020
Jennifer Hudson:
.@IAMJHUD delivers a powerful pregame performance to honor Kobe #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/XwdSes5w97
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2020
Common:
.@common opened the #NBAAllStarGame with a tribute to the city of Chicago and Kobe Bryant.
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2020
Chance The Rapper:
.@chancetherapper pays tribute to Kobe and Gianna Bryant during his #NBAAllStar halftime performance. pic.twitter.com/L0HX2hsWi8
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2020
Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre delivers an epic tribute to Kobe Bryant.
🎥 @GibsonHazard | @Jackson_Bannon pic.twitter.com/o0Id018aEs
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2020
and last but not least, Kawhi won the Koeb Bryant MVP award:
Kawhi takes home the first-ever Kobe Bryant MVP Award! 🖐🏆 #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/cGPQqGPBb2
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2020
We miss you Kobe! These tributes will never be enough to capture what your life and legacy meant to basketball and the world, but we’ll just have to spend forever trying. May you rest in power Mamba!
