Jennifer Hudson to Sing Kobe Bryant Tribute, Lil Wayne and Quavo to Perform at NBA All-Star Game

By Variety Staff

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The NBA today announced that Jennifer Hudson will perform a special tribute to the late Kobe Bryant at the All-Star Game on Sunday at Chicago’s United Center. 
The tribute will also honor Bryant’s daughter Gianna and seven others who died with them in a helicopter crash on Feb. 26.

The league also announced that Lil Wayne, Quavo and DJ Khaled will join previously announced halftime-show performer Chance the Rapper for a medley of their hits. Common will give an opening welcome before the game that will involve the city’s relationship with basketball. The game will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.

Chaka Khan and Tenille Arts will sing the U.S. and Canadian national anthems, respectively, and Queen Latifah and Chance’s brother Taylor Bennett will also perform over All-Star weekend.

Chance, Khan, Common and Taylor Bennett, the latter of whom will also perform with his brother, Chance the Rapper, all are Chicago natives.
During State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 15, Queen Latifah will be joined by Chicago youth for a special performance of Stevie Wonder’s classic song “Love’s in Need of Love Today.”  

On Friday, Feb. 14, the Chicago Children’s Choir will sing the U.S. national anthem in advance of NBA Rising Stars, which begins at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.  As previously announced, Taylor Bennett will perform at halftime.

Bryant, who won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and was often compared to Michael Jordan, died with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna (“Gigi”) and seven others in a helicopter crash on Feb. 26. Bryant was traveling in his private helicopter when it crashed in the Los Angeles County suburb of Calabasas. The chopper was en route to Gigi’s basketball game in Thousand Oaks.