It was the Los Angeles Lakers’ first game since Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna heartbreakingly died in a helicopter crash last January 26. Before the Lakers could play against the Portland Trail Blazers, an emotional tribute celebrating the life and career of Kobe was given.
A video tribute showing highlights of his NBA career with narration from Kobe himself was accompanied by cellist Ben Hong’s rendition of “Hallelujah.” The video was followed by 24.2 seconds of silence by the team in commemoration of both Kobe and Gianna’s jersey numbers.
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LeBron James then gave a heartfelt speech honoring Kobe. “Laker nation, man, I will be selling you short if I read off this s***, so I’m going to go straight from the heart,” he began. “This is a celebration of the blood, the sweat, the tears, the broken down body, the gettin’ up, everything, the countless hours. The determination to be a great as he could be.”
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“We’re all grieving. We’re all hurt. We’re all heartbroken. But when we’re going through things like this, the best thing you can do is lean on the shoulders of your family,” he concluded.
You can watch the entire tribute below:
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