Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon choke up while paying tribute to Kobe Bryant
Late-night hosts are paying tribute to Kobe Bryant.
The basketball legend, 41, died Sunday along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. They were among those killed when a helicopter slammed into a hillside near Malibu in Los Angeles County.
After the tragic news, reactions poured in from celebrities – and the tributes haven't stopped.
In a clip filmed Monday (airing Tuesday), Ellen DeGeneres got emotional while reminding her audience to "celebrate life."
"Yesterday was supposed to be a celebratory day, and then we got tragic news about Kobe Bryant, and everything changed in a second. ... That’s what I want to talk about: Life is short, and it’s fragile. And we don’t know how many birthdays we have,” she said. “We don’t have to have a birthday to celebrate. Just celebrate life.
"If you haven’t told someone you love them, do it now. Do it. Tell people you love them. Call your friends. Text your friends. Hug them. Kiss them."
Jimmy Fallon also remembered the NBA legend on "The Tonight Show," recounting a time he and a young Bryant went on a beer run for a party on the night they first met.
Fallon recalled arriving to a store that wouldn't let them purchase anything because it was "delivery only."
"Then Kobe takes out his ID and he puts it up against the glass, and he goes, 'I'm a Laker,' and the guy opened the door and we walked out with five cases of beer and we saved the party," Fallon said with a smile.
He continued, choking up: "When we'd run into each other over the years we'd laugh about that night that we first met. ... We'd laugh about how much fun it was to raise kids and all the stupid mistakes we made trying to figure out how to be good dads.
"Kobe, when we meet again, we're going on a beer run."
Jimmy Kimmel didn't have a studio audience Monday because "going forward with a comedy show didn't feel right" after Bryant's death.
Kimmel, who described Bryant as a hero, praised the sports star as "incredibly gifted ... (and) talented beyond reasoning."
"He took his job and his pursuit of excellence so seriously," Kimmel said. "He was completely dedicated to being as good as he possibly could be, which is inspiring to anyone who does anything."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kobe Bryant tributes: Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon tear up
