NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters on Wednesday that Bryant will be honored during the big game.
The National Football League will be paying tribute to Kobe Bryant during this year's Super Bowl LIV.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed reporters on Wednesday at a press conference, where he fielded a question about Bryant's death and the league's response to the tragedy.
"I'm proud of… the way our players, the way our league, responded [on Sunday, after the accident] -- including a moment of silence during the game, with Kobe's picture up -- and the way our fans responded," Goodell said. "And we did that again on Monday night."
"We as a league have been very responsive, and I think respectful, of somebody who contributed so much to sports," he added.
Goodell also addressed the death of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Minnesota Vikings defensive end Chris Doleman, who died on Tuesday, at the age of 58, following a battle with brain cancer.
"We also lost one of our own legends last night, Chris Doleman, last night. I personally was very fond of him, and he meant a great deal to me and the league in general," Goodell said. "So I think both of those individuals will be seen on Sunday."
However, Goodell did not elaborate on what the league had planned for the expected tributes at this year's Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 2
The NFL commissioner also took a moment to reflect on the impact of Bryant's death.
"I don't think just Los Angeles is mourning the death of Kobe Bryant," Goodell shared. "Kobe was a special person."
"I did have the opportunity to meet him. He obviously brought a lot to our world, and I think all of us not only feel for the tragic events to his family, but as well as everybody else who was a passenger on the helicopter," he added. "It's hard to understand and it's hard to process."
The Los Angeles Lakers legend and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were reportedly on their way to the Mamba Academy near Thousand Oaks, California, when the crash occurred. The L.A. County Sheriff's Office revealed on Sunday that all eight passengers and the helicopter's pilot, Ara Zobayan, had died.
Alyssa Altobelli, a teammate of Gianna's, was also on the helicopter, along with her parents, Keri and John Altobelli, who was a baseball coach at Orange Coast College.
Also among the victims is Christina Mauser, an assistant coach at Harbor Day School in Corona Del Mar, California, who had previously worked with Bryant on a clinic for WNBA players at the Mamba Academy. Another of Gianna's teammates, Payton Chester, and her mother, Sarah Chester, also lost their lives in the crash.
Bryant's wife, Vanessa, broke her silence in an Instagram post on Wednesday, expressing her heartbreak and devastation over her family's loss, as well as her gratitude for the monumental outpouring of love and condolences.
"My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri," she wrote, alongside a family photo. "We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately."
"I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way," she continued, in part. "Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever,"
See more on Kobe's life and legacy as an athlete and as a family man in the video below.
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