Over 90,000 register for Kobe Bryant memorial service at Staples Center despite outrage over ticket pricing
The high pricing of tickets for Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna 'Gigi' Bryant's memorial service at the Staples Center is not cooling down the demand for attendance, with more than 90,000 registrations so far.
Many fans had taken to social media to criticize the exorbitant prices of the tickets when they were announced. Many called the Lakers out, calling the move "sickening".
The memorial service for the late Los Angeles Lakers player and his daughter will be held at Staples Center on February 24th. The pricing for the tickets was announced this week -- top-tier tickets are $224 each, while others can be purchased at two for $224 or $24.02 apiece. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.
The odd numbers for the pricing were chosen to honor both Kobe's and Gianna's jersey numbers from their respective teams. The proceeds from the ticket sales will go to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, which aims to further Kobe and Gianna's legacy in youth sports.
According to Yahoo Sports, more than 90,000 people have registered for the tickets in the first 24 hours -- far exceeding the capacity at Staples Center, which is approximately 20,000. Many seats are also expected to be reserved for the late NBA player's friends and family, NBA luminaries, and other invited guests.
TicketMaster -- through which the tickets are being sold -- have cautioned fans in confirmation emails that it expects demands to be "extremely high." The window to register for tickets closes on Monday at 10 p.m. PT, after which registrants will be selected at random to have the opportunity to participate in Wednesday's public sale. Each of the fans chosen can purchase a maximum of two tickets.
The Lakers are encouraging fans without tickets to watch the memorial from home rather than coming to downtown Los Angeles and gathering outside Staples Center. The memorial service will not be shown on any video screens outside Staples Center or across the street at L.A. Live.
Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna died in a helicopter crash on January 26th with seven others while they were en route to the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, where Gianna's basketball team was scheduled to play in a tournament later that day.