Los Angeles is putting special thought into Kobe Bryant‘s upcoming memorial service, which will honor the late NBA superstar following his tragic death on Jan. 26 alongside 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other victims. The memorial, planned for Feb. 24, has special significance for the former Lakers player, paying tribute to his jersey number “24.” Coincidentally, the “2” in the “2/24” date was also daughter Gianna’s jersey number, which was retired by her Mamba Academy basketball team Wednesday.
The memorial will be held at Bryant’s home court of the Staples Center, which a source told Entertainment Tonight was also a gesture meant to honor the basketball star. “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,” the source said. “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.”
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Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told The Los Angeles Times on Jan. 30 that special thought would be going into the memorial, which in addition to the Bryants, would honor the other victims of the crash: Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan.
“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,” Garcetti said at the time.
“We don’t have that date finalized but we’ve been talking every day to the Lakers, and most importantly, to [Bryant’s wife Vanessa] as well,” he continued. “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.”
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