More than 20,000 people gathered at the funeral of Kobe and Gianna Bryant at the Staples Center, downtown Los Angeles.
The Celebration of Life in honor of Kobe, the basketball star, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna saw fans and well-wishers coming in from all over the country.
Kobe and Gianna were killed with another 7 people in the aftermath of a helicopter crash about a month ago on January 26.
Gianna’s mother and Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, opened the memorial built for her husband and daughter, giving eye-watering remarks about her “soulmate” and her “baby girl.”
“God knew they couldn’t be on this Earth without each other,” said Vanessa. “He had to bring them home to have them together.”
Speaking of Gianna, Vanessa said she was “an amazingly sweet and gentle soul” and used to light up any room she walked into.
The grieving mother and wife choked on her words when she explained how her girl had got the knack for basketball from her dad.
She said, she’ll never be able to see Gianna becoming a trailblazer in the sports world as she always wished to.
Vanessa explained her 21-year relationship with Kobe, describing him as “the best girl dad” who always inspired her daughters “how to be brave and keep pushing forward when things get tough.”
After Vanessa, Kobe’s friends and basketball stars Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan came to the stage to pay tribute to him.
The memorial included speeches from some other basketball stars who had personal and professional relationships with Kobe. The service also had musical performances from Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, and Christina Aguilera.
Staples center was fully sold out for the memorial service and the capital generated from the event was donated to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, a foundation dedicated to supporting sports programs in underprivileged areas.
The date Feb 24 was selected by Vanessa because of Kobe and Gianna’s shirt numbers. Kobe wore number 24 shirt in the end of his career, while 2 was Gianna’s number in her youth basketball games.
The ceremony that was held on a 24ft by 24ft stage was full of symbolic meanings.
Notable people in the audience included close friends of the Bryants like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, Snoop Dogg, Michael Phelps, Steph Curry, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and Scotty Pippen.
The service was opened by Beyonce performing her famous XO, which, according to her was Kobe’s favorite. After that, she performed Halo.
Following Beyonce, the stage was taken by Jimmy Kimmel. The late-night host gave a little speech before inviting and introducing Vanessa.
She started by thanking the audience for attending the service.
Speaking of her daughter, Vanessa said: “She was daddy’s girl but I know she loved her mama. She was one of my very best friends.
“Gigi was very competitive, like her daddy, but Gianna had sweet grace about her. Her smile was like sunshine. Her smile took up her entire face, like mine.
“Kobe always said she was me. She had my fire, my personality and sarcasm, she was tender and loving on the inside. She had the best laugh. It was infectious. It was pure and genuine.”
Tearing up on saying how much she wanted Gianna to be a successful athlete, she shifted to her “soulmate” Kobe.
Vanessa said: “Kobe was known as a fierce competitor on the basketball court, the greatest of all time, a writer, an Oscar winner, and the Black Mamba.
“But to me, he was Kob-kob, my boo boo, my Bayboo, my Papichulo. I was his VB, his Principessa, his Reina, his Queen Mamba, and his Viski-Maniski-Fabulissi.
“I couldn’t see him as a celebrity, nor just an incredible basketball player. He was my sweet husband and the beautiful father of our children. He was mine. He was my everything.
“Kobe and I had been together since I was 17 1/2 years old. I was his first girlfriend, his first love, his wife, his best friend, his confidant, and his protector.
“He was the most amazing husband. Kobe loved me more than I can ever express or put into words. He was the early bird and I was a night owl. I was fire and he was ice, and vice versa at times. We balanced each other out.
“He would do anything for me. I have no idea how I deserved a man that loved and wanted me more than Kobe. He was charismatic, a gentleman, he was loving, adoring, and romantic.
“I want my daughters to know and remember the amazing person, husband and father he was. The kind of man that wanted to teach the future generations to be better and keep them from making his own mistakes.”
In the end, she left a message for Kobe, saying: “Babe, you take care of our Gigi. And I got Nani, Bibi and Coco. We’re still the best team.
“We love and miss you, Boo Boo and Gigi. May you both rest in peace and have fun in heaven until we meet again one day. We love you both and miss you forever and always.”
Replaced!