Kobe Bryant‘s memorial on Monday was attended by a number of celebrities and notable figures in the NBA, but it is currently unclear whether LeBron James was among those in the audience. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, James was evasive when asked if he attended the ceremony, instead sharing praise for Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, who delivered a eulogy for her husband and daughter at the event.
“I respect your question, for sure, but it’s very emotional. A very emotional day. A very tough day for myself, for my family, for everyone involved,” James said. “One thing I can come out of it saying is how strong and how bold and how powerful Vanessa is. To stand up there the way she did, to give that speech the way she gave that speech. I commend her.
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“My heart is with their family still. With his three daughters that are still here. With his wife,” he continued. “With his mom and dad and his sisters. It was just a very difficult day. Obviously a celebration, but it was a difficult day for all of us. So I appreciate it. If we could move on to tonight, that would be great.”
During the ceremony, cameras continually panned to the famous faces present, which included NBA stars like Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Steph Curry, Dwyane Wade and several of James’ Lakers teammates, though James himself was never spotted.
The athlete’s agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN that Monday was an emotional day for James and that he spent the memorial “in his own space.” Paul did not clarify whether James was in the building despite being prompted.
James previously expressed a desire to no longer be questioned about Bryant’s death after the Lakers’ game against the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
“I don’t want to keep going back on it,” he said at the time. “I think it’s unfair and it’s unjust to his family, as they’re trying to move on. We’re all trying to move on — but also know that he’s with us. His jersey is sitting in my locker right now. But it just puts me in a difficult mindset when I continue to harp on it. … I’m trying to [stop], if you can respect that.”
On Tuesday, James shared a post on Instagram of an infinity symbol, the date of Bryant’s memorial and purple and yellow heart emojis, offering no caption with the image.
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Photo Credit: Getty / AAron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
