The Grammy Awards kicked off with a touching opening tribute by Alicia Keys as she was joined by Boyz II Men for a performance that was accompanied by some powerful words from the second-year host. Later on in the evening, Lil Nas X paid his respects to the legendary Los Angeles Lakers player after his tragic death following a helicopter crash on Sunday afternoon. During the opening of his performance, “Old Town Road” that saw Lil Nas X sitting on a couch, a lined yellow Kobe Bryant Lakers jersey was spotted along one of the vacant sofas.
“Trying to watch the Grammys to bring some light and laughter into our home, Lil Nas X did a great job and the Kobe jersey was a beautiful touch,” one user tweeted.
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In her intro to the awards show, Keys came out and addressed the tragedy, delivering an emotional message about Bryant’s impact on the city. During it, a spotlight was cast on his jersey that hangs in the rafters of the Staples Center.
“We are all standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built,” Keys noted in her message.
Prior to the show, many of the music industry’s biggest stars sent out tweets and posts in regards to Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, and the other seven who lost their lives in the tragedy.
Among those were Taylor Swift, who became friends with Bryant and was presented a banner by the basketball star during her 1989 world tour after her 16th sell-out at the Staples Center.
“My heart is in pieces hearing the news of this unimaginable tragedy,” Swift began her tweet. “I can’t fathom what the families are going through. Kobe meant so much to me and to us all. Sending my prayers, love, and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight.”
Kanye West, too, sent out a tweet accompanied with photos in light of Bryant’s passing. “Kobe, We love you brother,” West wrote on Twitter. “We’re praying for your family and appreciate the life you’ve lived and all the inspiration you gave.”
In his honor, ABC put out a special hour-long show that aired at 10 p.m. ET entitled, “Kobe Bryant: The Legend.” Robin Roberts and Tom Rinaldi hosted the special as clips from Bryant’s past and interviews were shown.
