Kobe Bryant memorial: All you need to know about the 'Celebration of Life' event at Staples Center
Monday, February 24 is a significant date for the Bryant family given that it combines late basketball legend Kobe Bryant's LA Lakers jersey number as well as 13-year-old Gianna's jersey number, 2. The beloved basketball star and his teenage daughter died in a fatal helicopter crash on January 26. Kobe and his daughter are survived by his wife, Vanessa Bryant, and their three kids: Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months. Given that Bryant was such a big public figure, many thousands of fans would want to honor his memory.
Here are all the things you need to know about the memorial service:
Location
Bryant spent the majority of his career at the Staples Center and helped deliver five championships to LA. The memorial service will be held in the very same building where thousands of fans gathered to watch him display his magic on the court. The Staples Center has held memorial services before, including one for rapper Nipsey Hussle.
Time
The memorial service on Monday will be taking place earlier in the day as the location will host a game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers. The service will start at around 10 am PT (1 pm ET). Coverage of the event will begin much earlier than the mentioned time. Fans are also expected to show up early morning due to traffic. Thousands of people are expected to be at the service.
Viewing from home
For all those who won't be able to make it to the Staples Center in LA, there will be several options to watch from home. ABC News will cover the memorial on ABC News Live. The coverage will be live from Los Angeles and is scheduled to begin at 12:30 pm ET/9:30 am PT on networks like Roku, Hulu, Xumo, Sling TV, Facebook Watch, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and the ABC News mobile app.
ABC NewsOne will also provide full coverage with correspondent Elena Gomez reporting live from the Staples Center.
Attendees and Guests
Thousands of fans and followers are expected to show up for the memorial service. NBA players and celebrities will also be seen at the memorial service. The exact number is presently not known but there was a limited number of tickets with the price ranging from $24.02 to $224.
Who may speak?
LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, Adam Silver, Jerry West, Mike Krzyzewski, Phil Jackson, Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka.
Who may attend?
Vanessa Bryant and her daughters Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri. Vanessa's mother Sofia and her sister Sophie.
Kobe's parents Joe and Pam Bryant. His older sisters: Sharia and Shaya.
NBA luminaries and former players including Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Cooper along with Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Bill Russell and Pat Riley. Also expect current Lakers roster led by coach Frank Vogel, James and Anthony Davis. Doug Young, a former teammate at Lower Merion High School outside Philadelphia, is one of a handful of teammates expected, according to USA TODAY. Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer and Bryant’s former high school English teacher, Jeanne Mastriano, will join them.
Outside of NBA, former President Barack Obama; retired WNBA player and friend Lisa Leslie; Candace Parker, who plays for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks; director Spike Lee; Phil Knight, co-founder and former CEO of Nike; actor Jack Nicholson, a mainstay at courtside for years; and Flea, the bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, are also likely to attend.
Other Victims
Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others lost their lives in the fatal helicopter crash. The victims include Gianna's basketball teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, Altobelli's parents John and Keri Altobelli, Chester's mom Sarah Chester, girls' basketball coach Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan. All the victims are expected to be honored at the memorial service.
How to honor Kobe Bryant's memory
There are many many fans who would want to honor Bryant but won't be able to attend the Staples Center memorial. One option for those who want to honor his memory is to donate to charities. The Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation helps to provide funding to underprivileged athletes and communities. There is also the MambaOnThree Foundation which has been raising money for the families of the other victims.