Elana Hirschman, left, hugs her son Bryan, 11, as her husband Craig stands by at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed former basketball player Kobe Bryant Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, in Calabasas, Calif.
Elana Hirschman, left, hugs her son Bryan, 11, as her husband Craig stands by at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed former basketball player Kobe Bryant Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, in Calabasas, Calif. Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press
Herb Scribner
By Herb Scribner

The 2020 Grammy Awards kicked off with a pair of tributes to the late Kobe Bryant.

The setup: Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant passed away Sunday in a helicopter crash. His daughter, Giana, died in the crash, too. The NBA world — including Utah Jazz players and the Miller family — reacted to the news with shock.

What happened: Lizzo opened the Grammys with a tribute to Bryant at the event, which took place at the Staples Center where Bryant’s team, the Los Angeles Lakers, play their games.

And then: Alicia Keys opened up about Kobe Bryant as she began the show.

  • Keys: “We’re all feeling crazy sadness right now, because early today, Los Angeles, America, and the whole wide world lost a hero. And we’re literally standing here heartbroken in the house Kobe Bryant built.”
  • Keys and Boyz II Men performed “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” to pay tribute to Kobe, too.
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One more tribute: Bryant’s jerseys were shown hanging from the rafters at the Staples Center during the Grammy Awards, too.

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