Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Los Angeles Honors Kobe, Gianna Bryant With Public Memorial
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
February 24, 2020

Share

LOS ANGELES — Mourners began gathering Monday in downtown Los Angeles to say farewell to Kobe and Gianna Bryant at the Staples Center, hours before Bryant’s memorial service was scheduled to start.

Photo of fans lined up for the Kobe Bryant Memorial in Los Angeles
Fans line up to get into the Staples Center to attend a public memorial for former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. (AP/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
The basketball superstar and his 13-year-old daughter will be honored in a public memorial at the arena where Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe and Gianna Bryant died along with seven others in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26.
Early arriving fans included Bob Melendez, 72, who has been a season ticket holder for 40 years. After seeing Bryant play for the Lakers for years — including at his retirement game — Melendez said he could not imagine missing the memorial.
Melendez and friends Tom Ling, Rene Vega and Brett Noss said they wanted to pay their respects to the Bryant family.
Vega said his grandchildren and Bryant’s children attend the same school. Bryant called Vega “Grandpa” and snuck up behind him and pick him up.
Ling, wearing a silver No. 8 jersey, said he couldn’t believe the news of Bryant’s death.
“We thought it was fake news,” he said. “We didn’t want to believe it.”
Melendez wore a black No. 24 jersey and Lakers jacket he bought for Bryant’s final game.

Staples Center Is Sold out for the Memorial

“I’d never dreamed I’d be wearing this” at Bryant’s memorial, he said.
The Celebration of Life will feature speakers reflecting on Kobe Bryant’s impact on his sport and the world, along with music and retrospectives on Bryant’s on-court achievements. Bryant became active in film, television and writing after he retired from basketball in 2016.

Photo of Kobe Bryant with his wife Vanessa and daughter Gianna in 2012
In this Aug. 4, 2012 file photo Kobe Bryant with his wife Vanessa and daughter Gianna prepare to watch the final night of swimming during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. (AP File)
Bryant’s family, dozens of sports greats and many major figures in Bryant’s public life are expected to attend.
Staples Center is sold out for the memorial. The money made from ticket sales will be given to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, which supports youth sports programs in underserved communities and teaches sports to girls and women.
Bryant played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Lakers, including the final 17 seasons at Staples Center, which opened in 1999. The five-time NBA champion’s two retired jersey numbers — 8 and 24 — hang high above the arena where he became the third-leading scorer in league history until Lakers star LeBron James passed him on the night before Bryant’s death.
Bryant’s death caused an outpouring of grief across Los Angeles, where he remained the city’s most popular athlete into retirement. Dozens of public memorials and murals have been installed around the sprawling metropolis, and thousands of fans gathered daily outside Staples Center to commiserate after the crash.
Symbolic meanings will run throughout the ceremony, which will be held on a 24-foot-by-24-foot stage. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife and Gianna’s mother, chose Feb. 24 as the date in honor of the uniform numbers of Kobe and Gianna, who wore No. 2 on her youth basketball teams.
A private funeral was held for Kobe and Gianna Bryant in Orange County on Feb. 7.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

DON'T MISS

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

DON'T MISS

Here Are Some Numbers That Will Help You Get Your March Madness Fix for the Sweet 16

DON'T MISS

Opening Day 2024: What to Watch for as 28 of 30 MLB Teams Start Their Season

DON'T MISS

Davante Adams, Deebo Samuel & George Kittle Among the Stars in Netflix Series ‘Receiver’

DON'T MISS

Utah Coach Says Team Was Shaken After Experiencing Racist Hate During NCAA Tournament

DON'T MISS

NFL Owners Approve a Radical Overhaul to Kickoff Rules

DON'T MISS

Shohei Ohtani Says He Never Bet on Sports, Interpreter Stole Money

DON'T MISS

Top Freshmen Watkins of USC and Kansas’ Nichols Square Off in Bid for Women’s NCAA Sweet 16 Berth

DON'T MISS

Ohtani to Speak to Media for 1st Time Since Illegal Gambling, Theft Allegations Against Interpreter

No data was found

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

12 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

12 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

12 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

12 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

12 hours ago

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

13 hours ago

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

13 hours ago

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

14 hours ago

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

16 hours ago

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

16 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

PGA HOPE, now underway at Fresno’s Riverside Golf Course, is designed to introduce golf to veterans and active duty military members t...

10 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Fresno's Riverside Golf Course
10 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

11 hours ago

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

11 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

12 hours ago

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

12 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

12 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

12 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

12 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend