Some basketball fans were heated on Sunday night (Aug. 30) when late Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant was not included in an In Memoriam package at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards.
The show, which was dedicated to Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman — who died on Friday after a four-year battle with colon cancer — featured a tribute section in which Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker remembered passed rappers Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD.
He then set up a video montage that honored a number of other artists lost over the past year, including musicians Dick Dale, Eddie Money, Bushwick Bill, Ric Ocasek, Neil Peart, Bill Withers, Adam Schlesinger, Chynna Rogers, Kenny Rogers, Little Richard, Huey, Florian Schneider, music exec Andre Harrell, Glee star/singer/actress Naya Rivera and Boseman.
DaBaby rocked a Lakers hat and jersey with team colors during his medley performance in the show as well.
Bryant died on Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash that also took the life of his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna and seven others and fans took to Twitter to vent their outrage over his absence in the package mostly focused on the passing of musicians; a number of commenters noted that this year’s Grammys honored Bryant, who died the same day as this year’s ceremony.
A spokesperson for MTV could not be reached for comment at press time.
Check out some of the tweets below.
@MTV @vmas
How DARE you guys Not pay tribute to KOBE BRYANT!!!! He is an Academy Award winner and Legend!!! And you choose to leave him out of your 2020 tribute! #BoycottVMAs #VMAs— Ucrbutterfly (@ucrbutterfly11) August 31, 2020
UHHHH #VMAs WHERE TF WAS KOBE BRYANT?!!!!!!
— Starrr 11/20♏️ (@Hi_ImStarrr) August 31, 2020
VMA’s showed respect to all that passed away but didn’t post Kobe Bryant 🤦🏽♂️
— SENSEI 💈 (@SenseiFade) August 31, 2020
Who at the #VMAs forgot to include Kobe Bryant in the In Memoriam section?!? You added Naya and Chadwick, you weren't sticking to just music.😒 pic.twitter.com/6I6UvGk8Mx
— Miss Frizzle's Bus (@SceneByAshlix) August 31, 2020
Can’t believe Kobe Bryant was missing from the memoriam segment at the VMAs! WHAT?! #KobeBryant
— AbbyLovesHarryStyles (@AbbyAbbyb1) August 31, 2020
Wait I just rewatched the 2020 vma's AND WHERE WAS KOBE BRYANT DURING THE TRIBUTE FOR THOSE WHO PASSED AWAY!!?!
— ☂︎⁷|working| (@vntaesgguk) August 31, 2020