The organisation responsible for the Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has revealed that it is planning to honour late basketball star Kobe Bryant during the 2020 Oscars telecast on February 9, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While the overwhelming majority of Bryant's fans remember him for his unparalleled accomplishments on the basketball court, Kobe was also an Oscar-winning producer for his 2017 autobiographical animated short film Dear Basketball, which he also wrote and voiced.
Kobe, 41, was killed in a helicopter crash amid uncharacteristically foggy conditions on January 26, in Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.
News of his sudden death sent shock waves throughout both the sports and entertainment worlds, with athletes, actors and various institutions alike honouring the Los Angeles Lakers icon via social media.
AMPAS itself paid tribute to Bryant Sunday following the fatal accident, posting a smiling picture of the Oscar winner holding his statuette at the 2018 ceremony.
The touching caption read, 'They doubted a kid could make it in the NBA and he proved them wrong. They doubted he could win a championship and he proved them wrong. They doubted he could make movies and he won an Oscar. Like all great artists, Kobe Bryant proved the doubters wrong. Rest in peace.'
Before his untimely death, Bryant was the producer, writer and host of ESPN+ series Detail, which is an in-depth basketball analysis show examining how the game is played and won.
He had major plans to continue his career in Hollywood.
It is unclear whether the late athlete will simply be included in the 'In Memoriam' segment of the Oscars ceremony as a producer among other fallen stars from the past year, or whether he will be remembered separately.
Condolences began pouring in after Bryant's Sikorsky S-76 crashed in Calabasas just before 10 am on Sunday.
The helicopter struck a hillside and immediately caught fire, killing all those on board. Along with Bryant and his daughter, the other victims included Orange County Coast College coach John Altobelli and his wife, Keri, as well as their 13-year-old daughter, Alyssa; youth basketball coach Christina Mauser; Sarah Chester and her daughter, Payton; and pilot Ara Zobayan.
Agencies