Kobe Bryant is gone and the world is still painfully mourning his loss but the void is most especially felt in Los Angeles where the NBA legend practically revered.
But his memory may soon be immortalized as city officials are mulling naming a street after him.
Naming a street after Bryant is only one of the options being considered as a tribute for the legend. Rumors say that Council members are mulling a place near the L.A. Live area near the Staples Center.
In his first two seasons as a Laker, Bryant played at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood. When the Staples Center opened in 1999 in Downtown Los Angeles, it got nicknamed the “House that Kobe Built.”
The Lakers were supposed to play the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on January 28 but following Bryant’s death, the game was moved to January 31 in an emotional moment for everyone at the venue.
Since the death of Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, fans have been flocking to the Staples Center.
The father and daughter were among the nine people who died in the crash, including Ara Zobayan, the pilot.
The other passengers on the ill-fated flight were baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, their daughter Alyssa, mother and daughter Sarah and Payton Chester, and Christina Mauser, Mamba Academy basketball coach.
While people assume that a private memorial will be held for the Lakers superstar, there are talks that officials are thinking of holding the public memorial at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
Although it would be symbolic to hold the memorial at the Staples Center, “The House that Kobe Built,” with a seating capacity of 20,000 people, it’s considered too small considering the legions of fans that have already gone to the Staples Center to pay their respects.
On the other hand, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum can accommodate about 80,000 with space for many more in the surrounding parks. The Rose Bowl, with a seating capacity of 91,000, is also being considered.
Replaced!