"Life is short and it's fragile." Ellen DeGeneres' powerful message after Kobe Bryant's death.

On Sunday, Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a tragic helicopter crash.

The 41-year-old, who is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, was heading to basketball practice with a group of sports coaches, parents and teenagers when the helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain in Calabasas, California.

Bryant and his daughter both died in the accident, along with the helicopter pilot and six other passengers, including two young friends of Gianna.

Clippers Head Coach Doc Rivers talking about former opponent Kobe Bryant’s death. Post continues after video.

Since the news broke, tributes have been trickling in from celebrities, friends and fans alike.

In Los Angeles alone, a number of murals and public memorials have been erected to remember the father and daughter duo. Outside the Staples Center, the home of the LA Lakers, a memorial honouring the NBA great continues to grow.

And on social media, people from around the world have remembered the much-loved player.

Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 26, 2020

There’s no words to express the pain Im going through with this tragedy of loosing my neice Gigi & my brother @kobebryant I love u and u will be missed. My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. IM SICK RIGHT NOW pic.twitter.com/pigHywq3c1

— SHAQ (@SHAQ) January 26, 2020

My heart is in pieces hearing the news of this unimaginable tragedy. I can’t fathom what the families are going through. Kobe meant so much to me and to us all. Sending my prayers, love, and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight.

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) January 26, 2020

Kobe, We love you brother

We’re praying for your family and appreciate the life you’ve lived and all the inspiration you gave pic.twitter.com/pxbgLOOmpY

— ye (@kanyewest) January 26, 2020

RIP Kobe, hero to many including my grandson, extraordinary athlete and always kind to me & my family. My deepest condolences to his family

— Whoopi Goldberg (@WhoopiGoldberg) January 26, 2020

We miss you already Kobe ❤️❤️????????????????

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) January 26, 2020

But overall, among fans, celebrities and family and friends alike, the sentiment has been clear – life is incredibly short and incredibly unpredictable.

On subway when the #KobeBryant news broke. Everyone on my side of the train looked up and started talking. Stranger to stranger, across the usual identity divides. Some in disbelief, one close to tears. All of us brought together, if briefly, by the sense that life is too short.

— Eric Klinenberg (@EricKlinenberg) January 26, 2020

Returning to her talk show following Bryant’s sudden death, Ellen DeGeneres perfectly articulated what so many people are feeling this week.

“Thank you for being here,” she said.

“I appreciate it today more than ever, more than I did yesterday, and tomorrow I will appreciate it more than today because life is short,” she continued.

“I have mentioned before that we tape the show in advance, and we taped yesterday’s show last week. Today is Monday, and yesterday was Sunday. It happened to be my birthday and the Grammy Awards. I was nominated, I didn’t win. Not the point.

“Yesterday was supposed to be a celebratory day, and then we got the tragic news about Kobe Bryant, and everything changed in a second. And that’s what I want to talk about.”

More than ever, I’m grateful for every day. pic.twitter.com/vMEtDUG7ds

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) January 28, 2020

In her speech, Ellen called on her viewers to be thankful for every single day.

“Life is short, and it’s fragile, and we don’t know how many birthdays we have. So just – you don’t have to have a birthday to celebrate. Just celebrate life. And if you haven’t told someone you love them, do it now. Do it,” she said.

“Tell people you love them. Call your friends. Text your friends. Hug them. Kiss them. Be nice to people at the DMV. They’re people. Be nice to them,” she continued.

“I love each and every one of you. I know that you wait for tickets. And you get here, and you pick out your TV outfits, and you do your TV hair, and I appreciate it very much. And I know that I am lucky to have a wife who loves me so much even though I don’t have a Grammy. I get to come to work every single day with people who make me laugh.”

It’s a sentiment that Bryant himself has echoed in the past.

Kobe Bryant, 2008: “Have a good time. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged.

“You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling. pic.twitter.com/gy7iQnewAJ

— Kevin Boilard (@247KevinBoilard) January 26, 2020

“Have a good time. Enjoy life. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged,” the basketball legend said in an interview in 2008.

“You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling.”

Feature Image: YouTube.

For more on this topic:

• Daughters, parents and coaches: The 9 victims of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash.
• Vanessa Bryant was 17 when she met Kobe. They spent the next 20 years by each other’s side.
• “An unthinkable day.” NBA great Kobe Bryant and his 13yo daughter Gigi have been killed in a helicopter crash.

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