Kobe Bryant, the 41-year-old basketball superstar, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria-Onore have died in a tragic helicopter crash in the hills of Calabasas, California. The alarming passing of Bryant, a local legend thanks to his record-breaking legacy at the Los Angeles Lakers, has already devastated the city. Grieving fans have begun to congregate outside of the Staples Center, which has been the home of the Lakers for more than two decades.
In a matter of hours, the 62nd annual Grammy Awards are due to begin in the downtown Los Angeles venue. Out of respect for the Bryant family and a city in mourning, the Recording Academy ought to cancel the awards.
The optics of designer-decked celebrities celebrating themselves in the sacred space of someone who constitutes a saint to the city ought to make the Recording Academy uneasy enough. But it’s the chaos from the community outside that ought to give them pause.
Situated at the junction of the 10 and the 110 freeways and steps away from the Pico stop on the Metro’s Expo and Blue lines, the Staples Center is one of the most accessible spots in a city famed for its inaccessibility. Not even an hour after reports of Bryant’s death went public, people had already begun to amass. Although the Los Angeles Police Department announced that the immediate perimeter of the red-carpet lined venue would remain cordoned off, mourners have continued to congregate outside.
We’re aware of published reports regarding the helicopter crash in Calabasas today & we’re still in the process of confirming with @LASDHQ who was on board. As a reminder, the area around the Staples Center is closed due to the Grammys & fans will not be able to access the arena.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 26, 2020
Crowds will no doubt continue to come to pay tribute. Almost no one rivaled Bryant in his status as a local legend. They’ll be livid and rightly so that they’re blockaded from the house that Kobe built.
It’s both a security concern and a tone-deaf act of disrespect to let the Grammys commence as usual and keep the public from the Staples Center. Cancel them, and let a city mourn in peace.
