Vanessa Bryant has shared an invitation of the memorial service for her husband, Kobe Bryant and their daughter Gianna Bryant who died in a helicopter crash along with seven other people on Jan, 26. Bryant took to Instagram to share the invitation that read: “A Celebration of Life” along with the date, Feb. 24. The memorial service will take place at the Staples Center and will start at 10 a.m local time.
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With the Instagram post, this confirms what was reported by the Los Angles Times of the service being at the Staples Center. The city of Los Angles announced they would have something planned for the victims of the helicopter crash last week, but nothing was finalized.
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“There will absolutely be a memorial to mark the contributions of this incredible man and not only him, but to commemorate the loss of his daughter and all the other families that were there,” Los Angeles May Eric Garcetti. “We don’t have that date finalized but we’ve been talking every day to the Lakers, and most importantly, to [Bryant’s widow, Vanessa] as well.”
“I think one message that I would say is this is not just about a man who was a basketball player, this is about a father, this is about a leader, this is about a filmmaker, this is about an artist, this is about somebody who was so much more than just how he was on the court,” he added.
As soon as the location of the service was announced, fans started to complain because of it being “too small.” The Staples Center can hold up to 20,000 people. There were reports of having the service at the L.A. Coliseum as it can hold up to 80,000 fans.
“There was conversations about possibly having the ceremony at the LA Coliseum to fit more people, but ultimately the Staples Center made the most sense as it was such a big part of Kobe’s life,” a source told Entertainment Tonight. “The date being the 24th was a decision to coincide with his jersey number as well. The day will be a way for LA to celebrate a man that meant so much to the city.”
