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Jimmy Kimmel is reflecting on his time hosting the televised memorial of Kobe and Gianna Bryant at the Staples Center in February.
The late-night talk show host appeared on “Watch What Happens Live” with Andy Cohen this week, where he reflected on the service, which featured speeches given by the basketball legend’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, and NBA greats LeBron James and Shaq, among others.
When asked by Cohen how “nervous” he felt and how “intense” the experience was for him, Kimmel replied, “Very and very.”
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“I guess I wasn’t really fully paying attention, but I didn’t know it was going to be a televised event. I thought it was a somewhat intimate family and fans thing,” Kimmel admitted.
He continued: “The saddest part was seeing the family just sitting in the front row. That’s a killer, looking at those kids, Vanessa and Kobe’s parents. To just realize as sad as this is for all of us, this is a million times worse for them.”
Bryant, 41, was on a helicopter flying over Calabasas, Calif., on Jan. 26 with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna when it crashed, killing them and seven others.
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Vanessa Bryant speaks during a celebration of life for her husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna on Feb. 24.
(AP)
One day later, the host took the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” stage without an audience to deliver a somber tribute to his friend.
“We don’t have a studio audience here tonight because – going forward with a comedy show didn’t feel right considering what happened yesterday – so I’d like to just speak to you directly,” Kimmel said in his opening monologue.
“Kobe was — and I know this might not make sense – but he was just the last person you could have ever imagined something like this happening to,” the 52-year-old host said. “He was so strong and handsome and smart and energetic — he was a hero.”
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Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch during the U.S. national championships swimming meet in Irvine, Calif.
(AP)
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Kimmel continued: “And when I say that, I don’t mean a hero like real heroes — like firefighters, or doctors and nurses — who actually save lives. I don’t mean to compare what he did for a living to what they do. I know there are more important things than basketball. Almost everything is more important.”
Fox News’ Tyler McCarthy contributed to this report.
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