NBA All-Star 2020: Quavo Pays Tribute to Kobe and Gianna Bryant With Celebrity Game Sneakers

Rapper Quavo wore a special tribute to Kobe Bryant on his feet at the NBA All-Star weekend. The Migos rapper sported a pair of Nike sneakers with Bryant printed onto the side. The other side featured a picture of his daughter, Gianna, who passed away in the same helicopter crash last month.

The NBA All-Star game was preoccupied with Bryant’s passing all weekend, from the athletes to the celebrity guests. Some found subtle ways to give a shout-out to Bryant, but Quavo made his tribute perfectly clear.

The rapper was wearing a pair of Nike Kobe 11s, one of the most popular basketball sneakers ever branded with Bryant’s name. They were white and purple, with a nearly photographic image of Bryant printed on the otuside of one shoe. His jersey and the number 8 were both in gold, completing the Los Angeles Lakers’ color scheme.

The other shoe showed Gianna, also wearing her Mamba Sports Academy jersey. This one had her number, 2 printed beside her.

The shoes were not just for looks, either as Quavo laced up and got on the court with other celebrities. He wore green for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, where rapper Common was named the MVP. Quavo later took a shot at Common on Instagram, posting a video of himself blocking one of Common’s shots while sarcastically congratulating him on the title.

The weekend was full of tributes to Bryant like this, including another wearable homage by Bryant’s former teammate Dwight Howard. Before the slam dunk contest, Howard donned a Superman costume complete with fluttering red cape. Just before he jumped, he pulled off the Superman symbol on his chest, revealing another one underneath with Bryant’s “24” printed on it.

Howard’s tribute was made even sadder for fans when he revealed that Bryant was initially supposed to be involved in the stunt. Before he had passed, Bryant had agreed to carry the cape out to Howard on the court.

“That was gonna be a lot of fun,” Howard told The Los Angeles Times. “I was gonna dedicate it to him, but everything happens for a reason.”

Bryant passed away on Sunday, Jan. 26 in a shocking helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The NBA legend was flying to his Mamba Sports Academy to coach Gianna’s team in their first tournament. He was accompanied by his daughter and two of her teenage teammates, as well as their parents and assistant coach. There were no survivors in the crash.