Plans are underway for a public memorial ceremony to honor the legacy of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and the seven others who tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash on Sunday. The initial belief was that the Staples Center, which is home to the Los Angeles Lakers where Bryant played for all of his 20-year career, would be the place for such a service.
It turns out, though, that the arena may be being passed up for another venue in the city. A report from TMZ suggests that the L.A. Memorial Coliseum is being prepped as the venue for Bryant’s memorial. The Staples Center, which held a public memorial for the late Nipsey Hussle, and its 20,000 capacity was reportedly determined to be too small for the expected crowds of people who will attend. In comparison, the coliseum can hold up to 80,000 people with a potential for overflow to spill out into surrounding parks.
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In the days since the shocking event, mourners have flocked all across the city and across the country. The Staples Center, which hosted the Grammy Awards that same night, also had to deal with thousands of mourners flocking to the arena to pay their respects, despite the urging from local enforcement to go elsewhere due to the music award show. There have also been mourners heading to the crash site at the Calabasas hillside.
Along with that, there’s been various memorials set up at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, his high school alma mater Lower Merion in Philadelphia, and even at the Bryant household in Newport Beach.
The memorial for #Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna keeps growing outside Staples Center in L.A. today, after they were killed in a helicopter crash. Seven others were also killed, including a married couple and their daughter. pic.twitter.com/SbeC5BwMKg
— KUTV 2News (@KUTV2News) January 29, 2020
The impact of Bryant has been felt all across the world, not just in the states. Over in China, Bryant was the center of the conversation on their social platform, dominating the conversation even more so then the deadly coronavirus that’s plaguing the country.
It’s no wonder that city officials have deemed the Staples Center too small of a venue to hold his memorial after seeing his legacy, reach and impact on full display over the past few days.
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NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
