A jam-packed United Center fell silent for eight seconds before Sunday's 69th NBA All-Star game as some 21,000 fans joined hands to pay their respects to the late Kobe Bryant, the global sports icon who dominated professional basketball for two decades. The silence was broken by a string of thunderous "Kobe, Kobe, Kobe," chants that rocked the stadium as they honored Bryant, who wore the No. 8 and No. 24 during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers that was highlighted by five National Basketball Association championships. The stirring pre-game tribute began with Laker great Magic Johnson rousing the crowd and paying homage to Bryant, who was killed along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other victims in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Jan. 26.