Jennifer Lopez and Shakira say they have a “heartfelt” tribute planned to honor the late Kobe Bryant during the Super Bowl LIV halftime show.
During their press conference Thursday (Jan. 30), the ladies discussed some of what they have planned for their 12-minute performance. A reporter asked Lopez about whether or not they would be honoring Bryant and she said that there would be a “heartfelt” tribute.
“We’ll all be remembering Kobe on Sunday and celebrating life and diversity in this country,” Shakira added. “I’m sure he’d be very proud to see the message we are trying to convey on stage that day.”
Lopez didn’t want to give too much away, but she says the show will be “packed” and “empowering.”
Just a few days ago, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says that the league will honor Bryant at the Super Bowl. There’s no word on whether or not the halftime show will be the only tribute.
The NFL is not the only league that is planning to honor Bryant. The NBA has announced that it will also pay tribute to Bryant during the 2020 All-Star weekend in Chicago.
The league has changed the format of the All-Star game by making each quarter a mini-game for charity. The final quarter will be untimed with a target score that will decide which team wins. The scores will be reset to 0 at the start of the second and third quarters, then reinstated at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
The team that wins the All-Star game will be the team that reaches a target score, which consists of their combined score during the first three quarters, plus 24 points. Bryant wore the no. 24 during the second half of his basketball career. For example, if the total scores after the first three quarters is 100-95, the target score to win the game will be 124, 100 plus 24.
“We spent a lot of time considering the right target number to use for the fourth quarter,” says Byron Spruell, the NBA’s president of league operations. “Through the events of this week it became clear to us that the only appropriate number for this season’s All-Star game is 24.”