The public will be able to mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant and seven other passengers who all died in a tragic helicopter crash at the end of February in a memorial planned for later this month. Kobe and his daughter were laid to rest in a private funeral this week.
The public memoriam for the NBA legend and his 13-year-old daughter will be held at the Los Angeles Staples Center, otherwise known as the house that Kobe built. The Staples Center houses the Los Angeles Lakers team. The memorial will be held on Monday, February 24. More details will be forthcoming.
Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant died alongside seven others in a helicopter crash that happened on January 26th. Those who also perished in the accident include Christina Mauser, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester and pilot Ara Zobayan. They will also be remembered during the public memorial, which should bring a packed house to the Staples Center, with many in the Los Angeles area still mourning the loss and wanting to pay their respects.
Earlier in the week, Kobe Bryant’s wife and mother to Gianna, Vanessa Bryant posted a very emotional and heartfelt message, explaining how hard it was to conceived that either her husband or daughter was gone. You can read the message to fans below.
At this time, the cause of the helicopter accident is still unknown. The helicopter was not equipped with a black box. On January 30th, The Lakers held a special tribute for Kobe before their game against longtime rivals The Portland Trail Blazers, with LeBron James leading the team.
Kobe Bryant and Gianna were laid to rest in Corona Del Mar, California. A source close to the family says, ‘Vanessa and the family wanted a private service to mourn their loss. The ceremony was extremely hard for everyone as it’s& still hard for them to grasp they lost two beautiful souls.”
The public memorial is taking place on February 24 in celebration of Kobe’s jersey number. Kobe sported the 24 on his jersey since the 2006-07 season, and it’s the same& number& he had in high school at Lower Merion. Vanessa Bryant announced the Public Memorial will start at 10 am, posting the open invitation on Instagram, which you can see below.
