Kobe Bryant: Usher Honors Lakers Legend With Haunting Photo While Attending Tribute Game

R&B star Usher has openly shared his grief from the death of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant since Sunday. On Friday, ahead of the Lakers’ first game since Bryant’s death, the “Don’t Waste My Time” singer arrived at the Staples Center early to take a powerful photo of himself sitting alone in the stands. Usher wore a Bryant shirt with the Lakers’ new memorial patch among the shirts laid out for fans on the seats.

The singer later performed “Amazing Grace” to start the tribute to Bryant before the game.

Usher shared the photo on his Instagram page, where he has shared other tributes since Sunday. “Missin you,” Usher wrote in his first tribute, along with a photo of himself with Bryant.

His performance of “Amazing Grace” moved people watching at home to tears.

“Turned to ESPN just in time to hear an organ and Usher singing like this is an actual funeral and I was absolutely not ready,” one person tweeted.

“Take your time, usher. take. your. time,” another fan wrote.

The singer also showed support for changing the NBA logo to Bryant’s silhouette. “Couldn’t be a better time or all around athlete and person for it,” Usher wrote, adding the hashtag “change the logo.”

Hours after Bryant’s death, a petition surfaced on Change.org, asking the NBA to change its logo to feature Bryant. More than 3.04 million people have signed the logo already.

“With the untimely and unexpected passing of the great Kobe Bryant please sign this petition in an attempt to immortalize him forever as the new NBA Logo,” Nick M., who created the petition, wrote.

In another petition, a Change.org user asked the Lakers to include a jersey to honor Gianna Bryant in the Staples Center rafters alongside Bryant’s 8 and 24 numbers. The petition has 141,290 signatures. Gianna, who wore number 2 when she played basketball, also died in the helicopter crash.

Bryant, Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash on Sunday in Calabasas, California. They were reportedly on their way to the Mamba Academy for a basketball tournament.

Photo credit: Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images