Vanessa Bryant Confirms ‘a Celebration of Life’ Will Be Held for Kobe and Gianna at Staples Center
The memorials for Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna are still ongoing. Wife Vanessa Bryant confirmed on Friday, February 7 that “a Celebration of Life” event will be held for the duo at Staples Center, where the NBA athlete used to play, on February 24, 2020. The date honors both basketball players — #2 for Gianna and #24 for Bryant. The year is also significant since the professional athlete spent “20 years as a Laker.”
Though Vanessa, 37, promised fans that “details [are] to come,” she revealed the tribute will begin at 10 a.m. The event is just one of many where those who knew and loved Bryant, who passed away at age 41, and Gianna, who passed away at age 13, have paid their respects. At the 2020 Grammys, held the same day as the helicopter crash that claimed both Bryant family members’ lives as well as the lives of seven others, celebrities paid their respects on the red carpet and on stage with musical performances.
At the first Lakers game after the accident, the team displayed both Bryant’s team jersey and Gianna’s Mamba Academy jersey on courtside seats, setting roses on the chairs. “There is no #24 without #2. ❤️#GirlDaddy #DaddysGirl #MyBabies,” the basketball player’s wife captioned a photo of the display on Instagram. At the Super Bowl on February 2nd, players stood on the 24 yard line in honor of their fellow athlete. “A legend gone too soon,” the San Francisco 49ers wrote on Twitter. “With heavy hearts, we send our condolences to the Bryant family after the tragic loss of Kobe and Gianna. Prayers for all the families who lost a loved one. #RIPMamba.”
Celebrities have also taken social media to honor not just the stars themselves, but the retired Lakers player’s legacy in #GirlDad posts. “I’m so proud and lucky to be a #GirlDad,” Alex Rodriguez wrote. “Proud to be a #girldad,” journalist Al Roker agreed. Reality star Adam Busby had even more to say. “One thing that I tell a lot of soon-to-be dads that seem to be disappointed for not having a boy: Every Dad needs to have a little girl,” he wrote. “There is nothing greater than the way that a daughter looks at her daddy. I hit the jackpot. #girldad.”
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