MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Kobe Bryant snubbed at Emmys 'In Memoriam' section even though it was filmed at Staples Center, fans enraged: 'WTF'

The fact that the award show was broadcast from The Staples Center in Los Angeles — the arena made famous by the Lakers — added to the insult

Many people were disappointed at the fact that late NBA legend Kobe Bryant was left out of the celebrities honored during the 2020 Emmys “In Memoriam” tribute. The fact that the award show was broadcast from The Staples Center in Los Angeles — the arena made famous by the Lakers — added to the insult.

"Kobe Bryant was left out of the #Emmys Memoriam, but they are broadcasting from The Staples Center, WTF?!? #RIPKOBE #TheHouseThatKobeBuilt," one wrote, while another said, "While the tribute was a beautiful celebration of life, not every star who died over the last year was included. Specifically, the exclusion of Nick Cordero, Kobe Bryant, and Kelly Preston took many viewers by surprise. @TelevisionAcad, proof 2020 Emmy's was fake." A third commented, "Disappointed they would leave out kobe bryant during the 'In Memoriam' segment on the #Emmys in the house that kobe built."

A fourth remarked, "I found it awkward they didn’t include @kobebryant given that he also did appear on TV shows & um the #Emmys were streaming from @STAPLESCenter". A fifth asked, "#Emmys why didn’t you guys put George Floyd, Brianna Taylor, Gigi Bryant and Kobe Bryant" and a sixth opined, "Surprised that they left #KobeBryant out of the In Memoriam segment. Granted, he wasn’t really part of the television industry, but as an NBA star, he still had a strong presence on television. #Emmys".

Kobe won a Sports Emmy and an Oscar for his animated short 'Dear Basketball' in 2018 although he was never nominated for a Prime Time Emmy Award. Kobe was also left off the list of those lost at the 2020 MTV Music Video Awards in August which left fans questioning the music awards. We previously reported that Kobe, 41, his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others, including two of Gianna's teammates at the Mamba Sports Academy and Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, died after a helicopter carrying them crashed into a mountainside in Calabasas, California, on January 26. They were buried following a private ceremony at Pacific View Memorial Park on Friday, February 7, that was attended by family and close friends.

The public memorial service for the basketball star, Gianna, and the other seven victims was held at the Staples Center, known lovingly as the 'House that Kobe Built' on February 24. The invitation featured 24 butterflies in purple and yellow, which are the colors of the Los Angeles Lakers, and the date, 2/24/20 is similarly significant: the date corresponds with the No. 2 jersey worn by Gianna, the No. 24 jersey worn by Kobe, and the 20 years he spent with the Lakers. There was a limited number of tickets with the price ranging from $24.02 to $224. Initially, the Staples Center was not easy to secure for Kobe's funeral. According to TMZ, Steve Ballmer, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, who also call the Staples Center home, and their coach Doc Rivers had to sign off on the memorial as they had technically rented the arena for the day for a game between the Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies.