Kobe Bryant: Late-night TV hosts pay tribute to ‘hero’ NBA star
Late-night TV hosts in the US have been paying tribute to NBA star Kobe Bryant, after he was killed in a helicopter crash aged 41.
Conan O’Brien called the retired Lakers legend “naturally very funny and charming” and “a joy to talk with”.
“He always had the audience in the palm of his hand,” he recalled. “That’s the guy I’ve been thinking about these past 24 hours.”
An emotional Jimmy Fallon remembered meeting a then 17-year-old Byrant at a party, where he apparently used his status as an NBA player to be served beer.
“Kobe takes out his ID and he puts it up against the glass and he goes, ‘I’m a Laker!’ Fallon said, laughing. “The guy opened the door and we walked out with five cases of beer and saved the party.”
The most recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live did not have a studio audience out of respect to Bryant, and said his death was “a punch in the gut for many of us”.
“Kobe was a hero, in the way Superman is a hero,” he said. “He was so... big and full of life, it was almost like he was a fictional character.”
“He wanted to save the day,” he continued. “He had a force of will, he never gave up. As an athlete, he was incredibly gifted, more than almost anyone. He was talented beyond reason, and yet, he worked harder than anyone. He worked harder than people with much less talent than he had.”
Kimmel added: “He was a bright light. And that’s how I want to remember him. He was on this show 15 times. We had many fun and interesting conversations.”
Read more
LeBron James issues ‘heartbroken’ statement over Bryant death
‘I’m in shock’ – Musicians pay tribute to NBA star Kobe Bryant
