One of the biggest honors ofNBA All-Star Weekendis being renamed afterKobe Bryant.
On Saturday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the All-Star Game MVP Award had been renamed in honor of the athlete, whodiedalongside his 13-year-old daughterGiannaand seven other people in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26.
Bryant, an 18-time All-Star, won four All-Star MVP Awards throughout his basketball career — in 2002, 2007, 2009 (when he co-won withShaquille O’Neal) and 2011. Bryant and Bob Pettit are the only two players in NBA history to be named All-Star MVP four times.
“Kobe Bryant is synonymous with NBA All-Star and embodies the spirit of this global celebration of our game,” Silver said in a statement. “He always relished the opportunity to compete with the best of the best and perform at the highest level for millions of fans around the world.”
Jae C. Hong/AP
The All-Star Game will also feature a special tribute to Bryant and Gianna, as well as the seven other victims of the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
All members of Team LeBron will wear No. 2 on their jerseys, in memory of Gianna, who wore the number as a member of the Mamba Sports Academy. In turn, Team Giannis players will wear No. 24 in honor of Bryant, who wore the number in the latter half of his career.
To pay tribute to the other victims, both teams will wear patches with nine stars to represent all who were lost in the crash, includingJohn Altobelli,Keri Altobelli,Alyssa Altobelli,Sarah Chester, Payton Chester,Christina Mauserand pilotAra Zobayan.
“We know that [Bryant]’s watching over us. It’s our responsibility to just represent the purple and gold not only for him but for all the greats, everybody that’s ever come through the Lake Show,”James told reporterson Saturday,according tosports journalist Mark Medina, adding, “It’s a very, very sensitive subject.”
The NBA All-Star game will air live on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
source: people.com
