Memory can be a funny thing. Kobe Bryant, now the late and forever great basketball player who was referred to – in his death – by Michael Jordan as his little brother passed away with his daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter. He was 41 years old and his daughter was just 14.
As news broke, the Grammys went into overdrive while paying tribute to him. Lizzo dedicated her performance to Kobe Bryant, as did Alicia Keys who invited the ‘90s hit boy-band Boyz II Men onstage at one point to co-sing part of their track, ‘It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday’.
In fact, a mournful cloud hung over the Grammys and as the night went by, more tributes have poured in.
That said, like the Grammys that completely forget about Kobe’s history, so did the rest of the universe. The late basketball champ was arrested in 2003 on felony sexual arrest. And he could’ve landed in jail in 2004 had the victim decided to testify. Nonetheless, there was enough proof as well as admission from Kobe Bryant that something untoward did go down. “After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter,” Kobe had admitted then and even lost lucrative deal with major brand – but not for long.Those ‘allegations’ have now been forgotten by the world at large and his NBA legacy remains.
Since the Grammys night, many have paid great tributes to Kobe including former President Barack Obama, Ricky Martin, Tom Brady, Jennifer Lopez & several others.