STARS AND FANS TURN OUT IN TRAGIC BRYANT’S MEMORY
A GALLERY of basketball legends joined thousands of Kobe Bryant fans last night to pay tribute to the NBA star, his daughter and seven others who died in a helicopter crash last month.
The Celebration of Life memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Bryant’s home arena during most of his storied 20-season career with the LA Lakers, featured an emotional address by Bryant’s widow Vanessa.
She told a rapt audience about the pain of losing her 13-year-old daughter Gianna, “an amazingly sweet and gentle soul,” and the husband she called her “soulmate”. “He was my everything,” she said of Bryant, who joined the NBA at age 18 straight out of high school, was a five-time champion and fourth-highest scorer in league history with 33,643 points.
“God knew they couldn’t be on this earth without each other,” she added, referring to her husband and daughter. “He had to bring them home to heaven together.”
Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and former Bryant team-mate Shaquille O’neal were among the Basketball Hall of Famers who attended the memorial, which opened with a performance by singer Beyonce and a montage of Bryant’s on-court highlights.
“When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died,” said
Jordan with tears streaming down his face. “Please rest in peace, little brother.”
Bryant, 41, and the others were killed on January 26 in a crash in Calabasas, California.
They were en route to a youth basketball tournament at which Kobe was planning to coach his daughter and her team-mates.