A public memorial service was held today (February 24) for Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna “GiGi” Bryant. The service, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, had thousands in attendance and moving performances from artists such as Beyonce.
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Jimmy Kimmel hosted the event that granted public admission on a ticket-only basis. The outpouring of love at Kobe and Gianna’s memorial matched the international support that Vanessa Bryant received when the news of her husband and daughter’s death broke.
Kobe and Gianna Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, January 26, 2020. The celebrity father and his daughter were headed to a basketball game at Kobe and Vanessa’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California. Kobe and Gianna were two of nine individuals killed in the accident.
“I always knew that I could count on her to do the right thing,” Vanessa said of Gianna. “She was always, always considerate of other people’s feelings,” the celebrity mom added.
Mrs. Bryant also talked about her late husband. “Kobe loved me more than I could ever express or put into words,” she said. “We balanced each other out. We did everything together.”
Vanessa went on to tell attendees that Kobe and Gianna Bryant were simply loveable. “Everyone naturally gravitated toward them,” she said.
Mrs. Bryant closed out her speech by saying, “God knew they couldn’t be on this earth without each other. He had to bring them home to have them together.”
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Vanessa chose Monday as a day of celebration to honor Kobe Bryant’s numbers as a Los Angeles Lakers player as well as Gianna’s number as a basketball player at the Mamba Sports Academy. The celebrity mom also moved to change the facility’s name to Mamba/Mambacita Sports Academy in honor of her daughter who was affectionately called Mambacita by her parents.
Stay tuned for more Kobe Bryant tribute news!
Photo: Getty Images
