Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon tear up as they remember Kobe Bryant: 'We loved him because he was ours'
On Sunday, January 26, the world was shaken with the news of the tragic passing of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, after their private helicopter crashed into the side of a steep hillside in Southern California.
Since then, tributes have been pouring in for Kobe, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons. On Monday night, late-night shows hosts joined in as they remembered the basketball legend.
On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC, host Jimmy Kimmel shared a very emotional tribute about Kobe. "Kobe was a hero in the way Superman was a hero." He added, "We loved him because he was ours, we watched him grow up."
Kimmel also spoke of an incident when he sent Kobe a book after the basketball player was injured. Kimmel said, "He called me to discuss it in maniacal detail," adding that he then put Kobe in touch with the guy who wrote the book.
Kimmel also said, "I know he was not a perfect person, but he loved his family, worked very hard, [and] brought a lot of joy." He added, "He was a bright light and that's how I want to remember him."
Throughout the show, Kimmel then played past clips of Kobe Bryant on the show, dedicating Monday night's episode to him. The logo for the show was also modified in purple and yellow to reflect the logo for the LA Lakers.
Meanwhile, on 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on NBC', Fallon also spoke in length about Kobe. Fallon said, "Kobe was such a lifeforce, so strong and creative that in my head I thought he would live forever."
Fallon then relayed a story about how he met Kobe when the latter was just 17 and going on a beer run for the party they met at. Fallon then broke into tears as he spoke about running into Kobe years later and laughing about the night they first met.
He said, "We laughed at all the good things that have happened since. We laughed at how much fun it was to raise kids and all the stupid mistakes we made trying to figure out how to be good dads."
Fallon ended the tribute by saying, "let's honor Kobe, Gianna, and the other lives that were lost yesterday by following his example. Love your family, love your teammates and outwork everyone else in the gym." Fallon then said, "Kobe, when we meet again, we're going on a beer run."
