NBA All-Star weekend in Chicago was bound to be full of Kobe Bryant tributes in the wake of his tragic death in a helicopter crash along with eight others, including his daughter, Gianna. The NBA world continues to be in mourning, but Bryant’s impact expands far beyond just basketball.
That was evident once again in a tribute video TNT put together on All-Star Saturday, as Chadwick Boseman and Common took part in a tribute organized by the network’s Kenny Smith.
“We love you and we will continue to keep your spirit alive in all that we do.” @TheJetOnTNT teams up with @common, @chadwickboseman and more to pay tribute to Kobe. pic.twitter.com/hNa31lsI0M
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 15, 2020
Ice Cube and others also expressed their thoughts about Bryant, including Smith himself. But Boseman’s tribute in particular was very emotional. He’s been a fixture at All-Star Weekend in recent years, appearing on the weekend Black Panther was released to help Victor Oladipo with the Dunk Contest. And though he said he never met Bryant, the impact of his loss was immediate and deep.
“Your life has meant so much to so many people,” Boseman said. “I can’t even put into words how much cause I didn’t even know; I didn’t know how much it meant. I knew I loved Kobe, but I didn’t know I loved him as much as I did.”
It’s a touching tribute that also puts into words why the loss was felt by so many. Kobe felt omnipresent to people in a lot of ways, and his star power made those who never actually interacted with him feel like they knew him. Taking that away so suddenly has been hard for people to express eloquently, especially those who did not have a personal story to share. But Boseman put into words what many are feeling as All-Star Weekend continues in Chicago.
