LA Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant Will Be Honored At The Oscars Next Month

Following the untimely death of famed Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard, Kobe Bryant, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has confirmed intentions to commemorate the late athlete during the 2020 Oscars on Sunday, February 9, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The Academy didn't specify how it will pay tribute to Bryant, who saw some success as a filmmaker in addition to his storied basketball career. For those who don't remember, Bryant wrote, produced, and narrated an animated short film that won Best Animated Short at the 2018 Oscars awards ceremony. The bite-sized film, running a little longer than five minutes and based on a November 2015 poem published in the Players' Tribune, has largely been removed online following Bryant's passing. A reason for the removal has not been provided, according to the LA Times.

Kobe Bryant was killed in an explosive helicopter crash on January 26. He and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were on their way to a basketball game she was said to be playing in when the helicopter came down. The fatal crash took nine lives in total, including Bryant, his daughter, a college baseball coach, his wife and daughter, and more. A cause for the crash has yet to be determined, but reports reveal the pilot's final transmissions were requests to "avoid a cloud layer." Bryant was 41 years old.

The Academy issued a heartfelt statement on Instagram, paying tribute to Bryant's resilience and tenacity. "They doubted a kid could make it in the NBA and he proved them wrong," The Acadamy wrote. "Like all great artists, Kobe Bryant proved the doubters wrong. Rest in peace."

NBA 2K20 also honored Bryant with a new splash screen across all platforms. It's simple, featuring a profile shot of Bryant alongside his birth and death year, but it's a respectful way to memorialize the Lakers legend.