The NBA is continuing to honor the late Kobe Bryant, even after All-Star weekend has ended.
The NBA and NBPA will auction off the jerseys worn during the All-Star Game and donate all proceeds to the Mamba on Three Fund and the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, both foundations of Bryant.
After the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that took the lives of Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others, the Mamba on Three Fund was created to support the families of the victims in the crash. The Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation provides “underserved communities and individuals with sports programming that enriches their socio-emotional and physical development, funding for underserved athletes that enable participation in school or league sports, creates criteria for initial and on-going financial assistance, and provides funding for programs that offer equal opportunities for young women in sports.”
During the All-Star Game, Team Giannis wore No. 24 on their jerseys to honor Bryant while Team LeBron wore No. 2 jerseys to pay homage to Gianna.
LeBron James revealed that his daughter is why he chose to pay homage to Gianna during the game by wearing the No. 2. Los Angeles Times reporter Tania Ganguli tweeted, “LeBron said the league asked him if he wanted his team to wear 24 or 2 for the All Star game. He picked 2, the number Gianna Bryant wore. Why? ‘Zhuri.’”
Jennifer Hudson blew the crowd away as she opened the game with a Bryant tribute performance. She performed “For All We Know (We May Meet Again)” as photos of Bryant and his daughter flashed across the screens behind her.
“We will never see another basketball player quite like Kobe,” Magic Johnson said before the game. Fans yelled Bryant’s name and they held an eight-second moment of silence. Johnson continued, “He was passionate about being a great father, husband, filmmaker.”