Nearly the entire crowd heeded Kimmel's suggestion that they introduce themselves and shake hands and hug the people next to them. That was followed by a spontaneous chant of 'Kobe'. He later introduced Vanessa who gave mourners an intimate portrait of the lives of her husband and their daughter.
'He was my everything,' she said, recalling meeting Bryant when she was 17 years old. 'He was the most amazing husband.' She said the world saw Kobe as a celebrity and basketball legend - the Black Mamba - but to her he was her best friend and protector. 'To my soulmate,' Vanessa said before describing the NBA legend as a loving husband and devoted father with a tender heart who was 'the MVP of girl dads'. He loved to watch romantic movies with them and put them to bed every night.
Vanessa said she and Kobe planned to renew their vows and travel the world together. They talked about how they looked forward to becoming the 'cool grandparents' after their kids have their own children. She fought back tears as she described Gianna as a sweet, thoughtful soul who loved kissing her mother good morning and goodnight. Vanessa said Gianna loved swimming, singing along with hit songs, baking cookies and watching 'Survivor' and NBA games with her father. She says the 13-year-old loved basketball so much she even offered the boys' basketball team advice. Vanessa predicted that Gianna could have become 'the best player in the WNBA'. She spoke of her heartbreak at not being able to watch Gianna grow up and missing important moments of her life.
'I won't be able to tell her how gorgeous she looks on her wedding day,' she said through tears. 'I'll never get to see my baby girl walk down the aisle, have a father-daughter dance with her daddy.' The service took place at the Staples Center, the arena where Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for two decades. The stage was surrounded by thousands of red roses as a host of NBA greats past and present attended the service. Jerry West, Phil Jackson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Pau Gasol and Steph Curry were among the crowd at Staples Center. Among other celebrities attending the memorial were filmmaker Spike Lee - who was close friends with Kobe and directed a documentary on his life - and rapper Snoop Dogg, an avid Lakers fan.
Attendees watched a few videos highlighting the 20-year career of the former Los Angeles Lakers star. The service featured 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. Outside the Staples Center, the concourse was a sea of people dressed in the team colors of purple and yellow and others in black. On the scoreboard, the Bryant family's life flashed by in pictures: Vanessa and Kobe, Kobe and Gianna, the whole family in costumes, Gianna on the court, baby pictures of Gianna and her father.
Fans were given a program containing photos, a purple KB pin and a T-shirt with photos of the father and daughter. Money 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. Vendors sold flowers, Lakers scarves and commemorative newspapers and jerseys. Buses drove up and down Figueroa Street with their signs lit up with 'RIP KOBE.' 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. Vanessa chose February 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 February 7.
Vanessa Bryant sues company that owned helicopter that crashed, killing Kobe, Gigi & 7 others.
I feel so sorry for Vanessa!
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