Kobe Bryant Left Out Of Emmys 2020 'In Memoriam' Tribute; Twitter Reacts

KEY POINTS

The Emmy Awards 2020 in memoriam segment left out Kobe Bryant
Fans argued that Bryant should have been included in the segment as he had a strong presence on television
The ceremony was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, home of the Lakers

After NBA legend Kobe Bryant was left out of the 2020 Emmy Awards' In Memoriam tribute on Sunday, fans immediately took to Twitter to express their shock and disappointment.

The Los Angeles Lakers star died in a helicopter crash in January along with daughter Gianna and seven others. Although he was not a regular on television, Bryant was the executive producer of the sports docuseries "Detail" and has guest-starred on "Modern Family" and "Moesha."

In 2018, Bryant won the Academy Award for best animated short film for "Dear Basketball." He also took home a Sports Emmy for his 2017 animated short.

His absence in the In Memoriam segment disappointed fans, considering the awards ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel from Los Angeles' Staples Center, the arena where the Lakers host their home games.

"I found it awkward they didn’t include @kobebryantgiven that he also did appear on TV shows & um the #Emmys were streaming from @STAPLESCenter," actress Lizza Monet Morales wrote.

"Surprised that they left #KobeBryant out of the In Memoriam segment. Granted, he wasn’t really part of the television industry, but as an NBA star, he still had a strong presence on television. #Emmys," a fan tweeted.

"Still waiting on part 2 of the memoriam where people like @kobebryant is shown @TheEmmys. #Emmys2020 #emmy," another Twitter user commented.

Last month, irate fans also criticized the MTV Video Music Awards when Bryant was also excluded from the list of those lost.

Meanwhile, the 2020 Emmys' In Memoriam segment kicked off with a tribute to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday, Sept. 18, due to complications of metastatic cancer.

"On Friday, we lost a great American. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a compassionate and tireless champion of equality and justice who said her legacy was to make life a little better for people less fortunate than she. Sounds like pretty good words to live by, to me," Kimmel said.

The segment also paid tribute to "Game of Thrones" actress Diana Rigg, "Black Panther" actor Chadwick Boseman, "Glee" actress Naya Rivera, television host Regis Philbin and more who made notable contributions to the television industry.

The 72nd Emmy Awards aired live on ABC from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST on Sunday.