The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will celebrate and acknowledge the death of late Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant at the 2020 Oscars, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
What’s going on: Bryant passed away with eight others — including his daughter, Gianna Bryant — in a helicopter crash Sunday.
- The Oscars will reportedly acknowledge Bryant at the upcoming awards ceremony.
Context: Bryant previously won an Oscar for his short “Dear Basketball,” a five-minute autobiography from Bryant.
- Bryant had played for the Lakers for 20 years and became a pop culture icon in Hollywood and Los Angeles.
What they’re saying:
“They doubted a kid could make it in the NBA and he proved them wrong. They doubted he could win a championship and he proved them wrong. They doubted he could make movies and he won an Oscar. Like all great artists, Kobe Bryant proved the doubters wrong. Rest in peace.” — The Academy
Speaking of ... “Dear Basketball” was removed from its website, according to The Los Angeles Times. This fits with the ongoing online narrative of Kobe Bryant’s merchandise being hard to find. Nike previously sold out of Bryant merchandise and is looking to shift its online strategy to better sell Bryant’s jerseys, T-shirts and shoes, as I wrote about for the Deseret News.