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Stars gather to pay tribute to Kobe and Gianna Bryant

A Celebration of Life took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
February 24, 2020 6:10 p.m. EST
February 26, 2020 1:42 p.m. EST
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The lives of basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were celebrated today at the Los Angeles Staples Center. The NBA star and his daughter were tragically killed on January 26 in a horrific helicopter crash that also claimed the lives of seven other people, including two of Gianna’s young teammates. The Celebration of Life event took place on February 24, or 2/24, a nod to Kobe and Gianna's jersey numbers. The Staples Center was packed with 20,000 ticket holders as well as close friends, family, celebrities and basketball greats who filled into the venue to pay their respects to Gigi and Mamba.The names of all nine victims were announced at the beginning of the memorial event, including John and Keri Altobelli and their daughter Alyssa, Sarah Chester and daughter Payton, Christina Mauser, and pilot Ara Zobayan. Kobe’s widow Vanessa and surviving daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri, as well as his parents, were the in the front row for the two-hour memorial service.One of the biggest themes from the service was Bryant’s unconditional love for his family. Many of Kobe’s friends spoke about the basketball legend’s dedication to his daughter Gianna’s basketball team, reaching out to his athlete friends for advice on drills and training methods.Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, Gabrielle Union, Paula Abdul, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Snoop Dogg, and Queen Latifa were in attendance for Monday’s celebration. Dwyane Wade, Rick Fox, Steve Nash, Lisa Leslie, Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, Candace Parker, Steph Curry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Harden, and almost every all-star in NBA history were in attendance for the moving ceremony as well.Beyoncé was the first artist to perform, taking the stage with a full choir and orchestra. Wearing a gold suit to match Bryant’s Lakers jersey, Beyoncé performed the first line of her 2013 single “XO” before pausing to address the crowd. “I’m here because I loved Kobe and this was one of his favourite songs, so I want to start that over, but I want us to do it all together and I want you to sing it so loud that they can hear your love,” said Bey, before finishing the love song and going immediately into a stunning delivery of her Grammy-winning track “Halo.” Jimmy Kimmel hosted the event, arriving at the mic already in tears and telling the crowd “You picked the wrong person to guide you through.” Kimmel spoke of the public tributes that immediately began popping up following Kobe and Gigi’s death, noting that “In places where he would be booed on court, Kobe will be missed.” Struggling through tears, Kimmel continued, saying “I’ve been trying to come up with something positive to take away from this and it was hard because there isn’t much. The best thing I think I was able to come up with is this – gratitude. It seems to me that all we can do it be grateful for the time we had with them and the time we have left with each other. And that’s all.” Kimmel next introduced Bryant’s widow Vanessa, who received a standing ovation from the crowd. Vanessa spoke lovingly about her daughter, recalling Gianna’s affinity for baking, her love of dance and sports and her kind smile. The grieving mother also talked about the loss of her soulmate Kobe, a man she had been with since her teens. Vanessa remembered her husband’s sweet and thoughtful gifts, including handmade presents and the actual notebook from the Nicholas Sparks film The Notebook, a favourite for the couple. “He was the early bird, I was the night owl. I was fire and he was ice, and vice versa at times. We balanced each other out. I have no idea how I deserved a man that loved and wanted me more than Kobe," said Vanessa.Calling him the MVP of girl dads, Vanessa remembered her husband often telling his four daughters that they were beautiful, smart and brave. A doting and hands-on father, Vanessa recalled her husband arriving an hour early to pick up his daughters from school and helping to give them baths each night. Vanessa managed to add moments of levity to her emotionally wrought eulogy, joking that a worried Kobe needed to relax when she occasionally arrived late to Lakers game because Kobe “wasn’t going to drop 81 points in the first ten minutes of the game.” Vanessa’s brave and deeply personal eulogy concluded with the wife and mother searching for any shred of comfort from her husband and daughter passing together. “God knew they couldn’t be on this earth without each other. He had to bring them home to heaven together.”Olympian and WNBA superstar Diana Taurasi grew up inspired by Kobe and became friends with her icon during the 2008 Olympics. The pair remained friends and Bryant even dubbed Taurasi The White Mamba. Taurasi spoke during the memorial, saying of Kobe “His competitive fire ran through his veins.”Gigi’s mentor and NCAA college basketball player Sabrina Ionescu also spoke about her relationship with the father and daughter duo. Geno Auriemma, who coaches the women’s basketball team at UConn where Gigi hoped to attend, joked about the ‘uncoachable’ Kobe Bryant asking him for advice on coaching his daughter. Auriemma remembered the Bryants' first visit to UConn where he watched Kobe visibly step back from his daughter. “This was her moment, this was her time to shine, this was her time to experience all the things he’s experienced his whole life. He was being dad, he wasn’t being Kobe Bryant, and he was allowing Gigi to be Gigi, not Kobe Bryant’s daughter,” said Auriemma.Kobe’s longtime manager and friend Rob Pelinka, who was also the godfather to Gianna, recounted the final text message he received from Kobe, which was sent only minutes before Bryant’s helicopter crashed. Kobe was hoping to help a young girl find a baseball internship. That girl was Lexi Altobelli, the surviving daughter of John and Keri and sister to Alyssa, who all died in the same helicopter crash that claimed Bryant's life.Alicia Keys, who memorialized Kobe as the host of the 2020 Grammys, returned to the Staples Center to perform “Moonlight Sonata,” a song Kobe learned to play by ear for his wife Vanessa. Kobe’s one-time competitor and longtime friend Michael Jordan spoke through tears, eventually joking about having to face another crying meme of himself for the next three to four years. “That is what Kobe Bryant does to me,” joked Jordan. “He knows how to get to you in a way that affects you personally, even if he’s being a pain,” joked Jordan, who credited Kobe with bringing out the best in him.Shaquille O’Neal was Kobe’s teammate on the Lakers for eight years and the two men’s careers will always be linked. Their friendship continued off the court and O’Neal said he took comfort in knowing Kobe and Gigi were together, calling him ‘heaven’s MVP.’Monday’s service concluded with a performance by Christina Aguilera, who gave a stirring rendition of “Ave Maria” to close out the event that was both somber and celebratory. Aguilera’s performance lead into an airing of Kobe’s Oscar winning short film “Dear Basketball.” The event was the biggest but not the first tribute to be held for the late basketball star. On the day of his death, a moment of silence was observed during the 62nd annual Grammy Awards, which also took place at the Staples Center. Many artists, including Lizzo, Run DMC and Nas, honoured Bryant during their performances. The all-star was also honoured during the Academy Awards and the Super Bowl Halftime Show by performer Jennifer Lopez.Many fans and friends of Kobe and Gianna paid tribute to the late father and daughter on social media as well, posting the pair’s jersey numbers of 24 and 2. [video_embed id='1907636']Related: Taking a look at Kobe Bryant's legacy post-NBA domination[/video_embed]

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