Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade and WNBA star Candace Parker led the All-Star Saturday night Chicago crowd to a 24.2-second standing ovation in honor of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, and former NBA commissioner David Stern.
Dwyane Wade and Candace Parker lead the crowd in honoring David Stern, Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant during a 24.2 second clock run up. pic.twitter.com/G0GCpnPhqF
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2020
David Stern passed away on January 1st due to complications of a brain hemorrhage. Bryant, on the one hand, passed tragically in a helicopter crash that took away the lives of eight other people, including his daughter Gianna, nearly three weeks ago.
The NBA is also honoring Kobe and Gigi Bryant with special jerseys in the All-Star Game. All of Team Giannis will wear Kobe's no. 24, while Team LeBron will sport the no. 2 in honor of Gigi.
The All-Star jerseys will also feature a special patch in honor of the nine lives lost in the helicopter crash in Calabasas. Likewise, the jerseys will have a black band to commemorate David Stern. Commissioner Adam Silver also announced earlier that the NBA will name the All-Star MVP trophy as the Kobe Bryant MVP award.
It's just right that the league is pulling out all the stops to honor two of the most important figures in NBA history.
Stern had massive contributions to how he made the NBA a global brand and how he promoted basketball internationally. Surely, the NBA would not be where it is without his three-decade run as commissioner.
Bryant, meanwhile, not only captivated fans with his all-world talent but also his unrelenting drive to be great. His Mamba Mentality has resonated with people all over the world and has inspired many of the young stars in the league today.
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