The Television Academy named Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant the recipient of this year’s Los Angeles Area Emmy Governors Award, selected by the Los Angeles Area Governors Award committee. Bryant was posthumously nominated by Spectrum SportsNet.
The honor recognizes Bryant’s “legacy of philanthropy, community building and inspiration that extended beyond the basketball court.”
Each year, the Los Angeles Area Emmy Governors Award is presented to an individual, company or organization that has made an outstanding, innovative and visionary achievement in the arts, sciences or management of television, as well as a significant contribution to the greater L.A. area.
Over the span of his 20-year playing career, Bryant was a mainstay on television screens in Southern California. An 18-time All-Star, he led the Lakers to five NBA championships, set multiple franchise records and was responsible for some of the greatest moments in basketball history.
After retiring at the conclusion of the 2015-16 NBA season, Bryant continued to dominate off the court. His film, “Dear Basketball,” most notably won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film in 2018. He became the first professional athlete to ever earn such an honor.
Bryant also made his presence felt in the greater Los Angeles and Southern California communities through countless charitable contributions. He raised awareness of the homelessness crisis in L.A., was an advocate for women’s basketball and brought attention to social justice issues.
The Los Angeles Area Governors Award will be presented during the 72nd Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards on Saturday, July 18, 2020, at 7 p.m. PT. The event can be streamed on Emmys.com.
Also on the horizon for the late Lakers icon is induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has delayed that, as the ceremony will take place next year rather than this summer.
Vanessa Bryant has conveyed it is important that the family be involved in Bryant’s induction.