In the wake of the shocking death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant today, the Grammys will honor the player with a tribute during tonight’s ceremony, Billboard reports. The ceremony takes place at Staples Center, the home of the L.A. Lakers, where fans have been gathering outside this afternoon to remember Bryant. He played on the team for 20 years and won five NBA championships. “All of us at the Recording Academy are deeply saddened by Kobe’s sudden passing, and our hearts go out to his family during this time. This is particularly difficult given that every year we salute well-deserving artists on Music’s Biggest Night in Staples Center — the house that Kobe built,” the Recording Academy said in a statement spokesperson Lourdes Lopez. “Having grown up in Los Angeles, I love the purple and gold and this is painful for so many of us who saw what he meant to the City of Angels.”
🔥14454