Kobe Bryant funeral: LA Coliseum may host NBA star's memorial even as fans demand it be held at Staples Center
While fans and followers are looking to bid the final goodbye to late LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant in his home turf, Staples Center, officials are reportedly eyeing a different space for Bryant's funeral.
As reported by TMZ, city officials have been looking at the LA Memorial Coliseum—which is home to the USC Trojans and the Los Angeles Rams—as a possible location for the memorial. Even though many call for the Staples Center "the house that Kobe built", it only has a capacity of 20,000 people, while the coliseum can hold 80,000.
Arrangements have not yet been set. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti shared that the city has not been behind the planning of Bryant's funeral but the officials were much more focused on offering support to those who were planning it from his family, ABC shared.
Garcetti further highlighted that he was dedicated to a permanent memorial for the beloved legend. City flags have been lowered to half staff and landmarks have been lit up in the iconic Lakers' colors of purple and gold. "A lot of greats have an amazing career as players and then go off into the sunset. But you know, they’ll come around for occasions," Garcetti shared.
"But he was writing a new chapter, and not just for himself but for his city, for his daughters. And as a father this one just hurts. I think for everybody in the city, it just hurts," he added. He continued that many people viewed Bryant as a symbol of Los Angeles and how he had shaped "not only how we saw ourselves, but how the world saw us."
"I just hope that people realize that as great as he was inside Staples Center, we want to feel him outside Staples Center, too, and that’s what we’re going to do," he concluded.
