The public memorial service for Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant is set for 10 a.m. PT Monday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Thousands of fans will pack the arena to bid farewell to the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar, who along with daughter Gianna were among nine killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 in Calabasas, California.
The memorial is called “A Celebration of Life: Kobe and Gianna Bryant.” Bryant’s family and dozens of sports stars are expected to be at the memorial. Oregon Ducks women’s basketball star Sabrina Ionescu is among those expected to speak. Bryant served as a friend and mentor to Ionescu and was a champion for women’s basketball.
The celebration will feature speakers, music and retrospectives on Bryant’s basketball achievements. He became active in film, television and writing after he retired from basketball in 2016 after a 20-year NBA career with the Lakers.
Staples Center is sold out for the memorial, with money from ticket sales going to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, which supports youth sports programs in underserved communities and teaches sports to girls and women.
___
© 2020 The Oregonian
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
