Super Bowl 2020: Fans Upset Jennifer Lopez, Shakira Didn’t Pay Tribute to Kobe Bryant During Halftime Show

Fans may have been wowed by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira‘s vocals and dance moves during their Super Bowl 2020 halftime performance, but many were upset that a large portion of their performance didn’t pay tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. The NBA legend died in a helicopter crash alongside eight others just a week before the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs took to the field at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, and many had been anticipating that the late Lakers player would be honored in various ways throughout the night, including during the halftime performance.

“Guess seeing [Jennifer Lopez] on a pole is more important than a Kobe tribute,” tweeted one viewer. “You suck [Pepsi Halftime] [Kobe Forever].”

“Literally tho NFL hasn’t even done shit for Kobe Bryant yet , like I’m still waiting,” wrote a second person.

“So Jennifer Lopez and Shakira used that they were doing a tribute to Kobe Bryant as an excuse to get their views up during the halftime show not only that but then they proceeded to do NO Kobe Bryant tribute like they said they would…but are we surprised?” added another.

Just ahead of Sunday’s game, the two performers had suggested that they would pay tribute to the late NBA legend when they took the stage.

“Life is so fragile,” Shakira said during a press conference. “We will all be remembering Kobe on Sunday and we will be celebrating life and celebrating diversity. I’m sure he will be very proud of the message we will be trying to convey on stage.”

Lopez added that they would include a “heartfelt” tribute to Bryant in their “packed” halftime show.

In fact, they kept true to their word, although many viewers missed the Bryant tribute. When Lopez’s 11-year-old daughter, Emme, along with a children’s choir, joined her on stage to sing “Let’s Get Loud,” an overhead shot of the field showed a giant cross lit up in purple and yellow, the colors of Los Angeles Lakers.

Although the two powerhouses didn’t deliver on their promise in the way that many had hoped, Sunday’s game did honor Bryant. As the two competing teams took the field, the stadium took a moment of silence in honor of Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the seven other victims of the Calabasas, California, helicopter crash. In a nod to Bryant, who played under the numbers 8 and 24, the players stood on the 24-yard line.

The NFL had previously paid tribute to the victims during the Pro Bowl, during which those in attendance also held a moment of silence in Bryant’s honor. As the moment of silence came to an end, the crowd erupted into chants of “Kobe, Kobe, Kobe.”