A final note. Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth turned their halftime show at the Los Angeles Lakers game at the Staples Center on Friday, January 31, into a heartfelt tribute to Kobe Bryant.
The “Elevated” rapper, 32, and Puth, 28, performed their song “See You Again” in honor of Bryant, who died on board his private helicopter along with eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, on Sunday, January 26. He was 41.
“To the late Kobe Bryant,” Khalifa told the crowd after their emotional performance. “Peace and blessing to his entire family. His legacy is gonna be remembered. We love you Kobe.”
“Rest In Peace to the late, great Kobe Bryant.” pic.twitter.com/jmqQMVC2UO
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 1, 2020
“See You Again” was originally written in tribute to Paul Walker, who died in a traffic collision in 2013 at the age of 40. The song was included on the Fast & Furious 7 soundtrack in 2015.
Puth shared how special the moment was for him via Twitter on Saturday, February 1.
“It was such an honor to sing See You Again for Kobe and Paul in one day,” the “One Call Away” singer wrote. “Wiz and I flew across the country and just barely made it to the game! Thank you to everyone that helped make this happen today and to the LAPD for helping us get there on time.”
The Lakers’ game against the Portland Trail Blazers was filled with dedications to Bryant and Gianna throughout the night. Before the game, Usher sang a stirring rendition of “Amazing Grace” before Boyz II Men harmonized on their version of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The trio previously performed alongside Alicia Keys in honor of the two-time Olympic gold medalist at the Grammys on Sunday.
Later in the night, LeBron James delivered an emotional speech in memory of his “brother” Bryant.
“The first thing that comes to mind is all about family,” James, 35, said. “And as I look around this arena, 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.”
In another act of honor, two courtside seats were reserved for Bryant and Gianna with one Lakers #24 jersey for the NBA All Star champion and a Mamba #2 jersey for his daughter.
Vanessa Bryant posted a photo of the sweet tribute via Instagram on Friday writing, “There is no #24 without #2. #GirlDaddy #DaddysGirl #MyBabies #OurAngels.”
