The Super Bowl halftime show not only featured amazing performances by two of pop music’s hottest stars, it also took the time to create a special moment, as it paid tribute to the late basketball legend, Kobe Bryant.
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira took to the stage for the Super Bowl LIV Pepsi Halftime Show, where each of performed a medley of their hits, including “Jenny from the Block,” “Waiting For Tonight,” “Whenever, Wherever,” and “Hips Don’t Lie.”
The tribute to Bryant occurred when Emme Muñiz, Jennifer’s 11-year-old daughter with singer Marc Anthony, joined her mom on stage to sing one of Jennifer’s most famous songs, “Let’s Get Loud.” In a report by ET , during the song, fans spotted a cross that lit up yellow and purple — the colors of the Los Angeles Lakers, the team where Kobe spent his 20-year basketball career.
Shakira and Jennifer were asked in a press conference a few days before their performance if they would add a tribute to the late basketball star.
“We’ll all be remembering Kobe on Sunday and we’ll be celebrating life and celebrating diversity in this country. I’m sure he would be very proud to see the message that we’re going to convey on stage that day,” the “Waka Waka” singer answered.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , the day after the horrible accident happened, Jennifer posted an emotional message on her Instagram account. In the caption, she recalled some memories she shared with the NBA legend and his family throughout the years.
The post contained eight photos, with the first one showing a stunning family shot of the whole Bryant family. The next snap showed the singer posing with her fiancé, Alex Rodriguez, alongside Kobe and his wife, Vanessa Bryant . The fourth snap showed Jennifer posing alongside Vanessa. The last photo was a throwback that featured Jennifer with Vanessa and Kobe. The post gained over 5.7 million likes and more than 56,000 comments from the singer’s fans.
JLo and Shakira’s tribute wasn’t the only way the NFL responded to last month’s tragedy during the Super Bowl. Before kickoff, the announcer called for a moment of silence for Kobe, his daughter, Gianna, and the seven others who died in the crash — basketball coach Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton, Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa Altobelli, and pilot Ara Zobayan, as reported by The Inquisitr .
