NBA 2K20 Kobe Bryant Tribute: 2K Game and Players Remember Lakers Superstar
On Sunday, January 26, tragic news arrived for the sports world. Former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven others were involved in a fatal helicopter crash. The news came as a shock to many people and still hasn’t set in. It has led to an NBA 2K20 Kobe Bryant tribute on the game, as well as many players remembering the multiple-time NBA champion.
NBA 2K20 Kobe Bryant tribute arrives on game
Upon launching the popular 2K basketball video game, an NBA 2K20 Kobe Bryant tribute is displayed. It shows a black and white image of Bryant in remembrance of the late, great basketball star. The image arrived as a tribute to the former Lakers champion who died at age 41 in a horrific helicopter crash in California on Sunday morning.
In addition to the in-game tribute, NBA 2K posted a tribute photo on their Instagram account honoring Bryant for his contributions.
Kobe was a fixture in the NBA for 20 years and continued to have his presence felt once he retired. He attended a number of games with his daughter or family. Bryant was seen in recent months enjoying Los Angeles Lakers game to check out the team’s newest superstar, LeBron James.
He was also a pop culture icon, bringing plenty of new attention to the NBA as his journey went on for two decades. Bryant became the face of the league due to his popularity and skills, with plenty of Lakers items, sneakers, and copies of NBA 2K sold due to his presence.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also posted an announcement from the league following Bryant’s death. A recent report indicates that Bryant will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this year. The league will bypass normal induction requirements to include him.
NBA players remember Kobe in tribute posts
Since Bryant had such a tremendous impact on many people, plenty of tributes to the star poured in on Twitter and other social media. That included the sports video game world and professional athletes.
NBA 2K20 cover athlete Anthony Davis joined the Lakers this past offseason. Davis took to Instagram to share a photo of himself seated net to Bryant with a touching remembrance of Kobe.
Ronnie 2K, a major part of the NBA 2K community shared several posts about Bryant on his Twitter. That included a tweet with Kobe’s NBA 2K cover for the 2K10 edition of the game.
Dwyane Wade, the NBA 2K20 Legends edition cover star, tweeted several times about Bryant’s passing. His first tweet was one of disbelief that Bryant had passed away. His next was a tribute to a man he played against many times while in the NBA.
The news of Kobe’s passing had a serious impact on Giannis Antetokounmpo. The reigning MVP and NBA Live 19 cover star reportedly deleted all of his social media after the shocking news hit.
Many other NBA stars, other athletes, and celebrities posted tributes to the late basketball star showing just how much he impacted others.
For the video game world, 2K featured Bryant in multiple copies of the NBA 2K video game even beyond his retirement. In the latest game, Kobe was part of the NBA 2K20 Spotlight Series I Super packs with LeBron James.
In addition, he was part of a 2K MyPlayer Nation challenge. It allowed gamers to achieve a pair of special Kobe kicks in the game, and also gave a chance to purchase the exclusive sneakers for themselves.
Bryant’s impact will continue to live on through highlights, memorable moments, and 2K’s basketball game. #RIPMamba
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