Call of Duty League began this weekend, but a key change was made in honour of the late and great Kobe Bryant.
Yesterday (Jan 26), news broke that the legendary basketball star and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, lost their lives in a helicopter crash. Seven others also perished.
As a mark of respect for Kobe Bryant, Call of Duty League opted to skip one of its planned events: a shootout between a some NBA stars, known as the Hype Battle.
During the event, the CoD League gave the following statement: “[the passing of] Kobe Bryant has shocked the Call of Duty community. The League, and the hype battle stars, Michael B. Jordan, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Vince Staples have decided to postpone today’s Hype Battle, and take this time to honour the NBA star’s life and legacy. Our thoughts are with his entire family and all who loved him.”
It wasn’t just the officials at the CoD League who mourned the loss of Kobe, as the livechat also blew up with fans paying their respects in what has to be one of the most incredible displays of adoration.
On Twitter, one user wrote: “Seeing the NFL pro bowl and even the call of duty world league take time to respect Kobe’s passing just shows how much love the world will always have for this man.”
Another added: “Watching a call of duty league match and the chat was lighting up with a ‘RIP Kobe’. I paid no attention because chat does dumb stuff like that all the time. I was a Kobe fan way before i was a lakers fan. The turnaround jumper, the jersey tug, 81 point game, 60 in his farewell.”
Following the tribute, Call of Duty league continued on in style. In case you missed it, check out the full match below.
Featured Image Credit: Call Of Duty League/Activision