‘Station 19’: Unexpected Kobe Bryant Tribute Leaves Social Media Emotional

The Thursday, Feb. 27 episode of Station 19 featured an unexpected tribute to Kobe Bryant during Season 3 Episode 6, which was titled “Ice Ice Baby.” The episode saw a blizzard that required the first responders of Station 19 to care for people who needed shelter — several of whom were young children.

Vic entertained the kids by playing basketball with them, and one little girl did what so many others have done when she shot the ball, yelling, “Kobe!” The quick moment served as a heartwarming tribute to Bryant’s basketball legacy and the impact he has had on kids around the world.

It’s possible that the moment was filmed before Bryant’s death and happened to be a coincidence, but either way, fans on social media shared how much they enjoyed seeing the tribute.

“That little girl just said Kobe and I appreciate it,” one person tweeted. “Made my heart smile.”

“Can we talk about how the little girl said, ‘Kobe’ when she made the basket,” a second fan wrote along with a crying emoji.

“A little girl on #station19 shot a basketball and yelled ‘Kobe!’ I nearly lost it,” shared a third. Someone else tweeted, “I love #Station19 more for the ‘Kobe’ reference.”

“Watching Station 19 and the kids yelled Kobe while shooting hoops,” another tweet read. “[I don’t know] when this was filmed, but bless.”

The quick tribute came a few days after a public memorial for Bryant and his daughter Gianna was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Monday. The event included speeches from Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Jimmy Kimmel WNBA star Diana Taurasi, Bryant’s mentee Sabrina Ionescu and University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma, as well as a eulogy by Bryant’s wife, Vanessa.

Beyonce opened the ceremony with a performance of her songs “XO” and “Halo,” the former of which she described as one of Bryant’s favorite songs, Alicia Keys performed Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata,” which Kobe once learned to play as a tribute to his wife, and Christina Aguilera sang a rendition of “Ave Maria” in Italian, the basketball legend’s second language.

Bryant and Gianna died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California along with seven other people including Gianna’s basketball teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, Altobelli’s parents John and Keri Altobelli, Chester’s mom Sarah Chester, girls’ basketball coach Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan.

Photo Credit: Getty / Mitch Haaseth