Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s beautiful celebration of life service was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 24th.
Family, friends and fellow athletes joined the Bryant family in remembering Kobe and Gianna after their tragic death in January.
Vanessa Bryant spoke on the loss of her daughter and husband.
She even shared that Kobe once gifted her props from The Notebook .
Michael Jordan choked up remembering his late friend.
“When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died … those are the memories that we have to live with and we learn from,” he said.
Shaquille O’Neal also spoke, and managed to draw a laugh from the crowd.
After revealing that Kobe hadn’t been passing the ball, he tried to talk to him about it.
“I said ‘Kobe. There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team.’’ Kobe said, ‘I know, but there’s an ‘M-E’ in there mother [expletive’].”
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Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez were among the attendees.
After the crash, Jennifer took to Instagram to pay tribute to her friend.
“Family. As I scrolled through Kobe’s feed, and Alex and I talk memories and moments we remember about him … this is the truth that rings out the loudest … family is what matters most,” she wrote.
“We are all feeling sadness from this loss, but all I can think of is that it is a grain of sand compared to what Vanessa must going through right now. I am sending all of my love and praying for you, your children and the other families involved in today’s tragic turn of events. The most unfair thing in life is to lose a child and husband on the same day,” she continued.
“Vanessa, I pray for your strength and that God guides you each step of the way through this unimaginable heartbreak. To the other families who are suffering from this unthinkable tragedy, may God be with you all.”
“Kobe you meant so much to so many and we will miss you forever. Thank you for your work ethic, your inspiration and your heart,” she concluded.
Yesterday, Jennifer gave a special tribute to Gianna and Kobe by painting their jersey numbers, 2 and 24, on her manicure.
“24 &2” she captioned the pic, with a yellow and purple heart, in honor of Kobe’s time with the Lakers.
This manicure isn’t the only tribute J.Lo has given Kobe this past month.
During hers and Shakira’s Super Bowl performance, the duo gave a shout out to the NBA legend.
During the performance, there was a moment where the camera panned overhead to show a cross that lit up yellow and purple, the colors of the Los Angeles Lakers, where Kobe spent his 20-year career.
Watch the full, emotional tribute below.
Our thoughts are with the Bryant family and their friends at this time.
