Daytime TV host Ellen DeGeneres struggled to hold back tears as she delivered an emotional tribute to NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
In a preview clip of “The Ellen Degeneres Show,” to be aired Tuesday, DeGeneres reminded her audience that “life is short, and it’s fragile.”
“We don’t know how many birthdays we have,” she said, reflecting on the Los Angeles Lakers great, who was killed alongside his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter accident on Sunday.
“We don’t have to have a birthday to celebrate. Just celebrate life,” DeGeneres added. “If you haven’t told someone you love them, do it now. Tell people you love them. Call your friends. Text your friends. Hug them. Kiss them.”
She also expressed gratitude for her wife, actor Portia de Rossi, and her staff.
“I know that I’m lucky to have a wife who loves me so much, even though I don’t have a Grammy,” DeGeneres said. “I get to come to work every single day with people who make me laugh. I love everybody I work with.”
In another segment, DeGeneres remembered Bryant “for his kindness and the times that he helped us give back to deserving people on our show.”
“Our hearts go out to Kobe’s family and all the families who lost loved ones on Sunday,” she said after airing footage of the athlete surprising her guests. “Be kind to one another.”
Check out that clip here:
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