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Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Lebron James Were among Thousands Who Came to Honor Kobe and Gianna Bryant at Public Memorial

Oyin Balogun
Feb 25, 2020
01:37 P.M.

In honor of Kobe Bryant, Gigi, and others who lost their lives last month, celebrities and lovers of the families turned out in massive numbers to celebrate the dearly departed.

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Death is cruel. It is the inevitable part of life that we all must experience, but the loss it leaves in the heart of those left behind is gutwrenching and tearjerking.

No matter how one tries to justify it, the loss of a loved one touches us in the deepest parts of our hearts. It is almost a month since the unfortunate incident that led to the death of Kobe Bryant, Gigi Bryant, the Altobelli's, and four others.

Kobe Bryant holds his daughter Gianna while standing next to her mother Vanessa after Game Five of the NBA Finals on June 14, 2009, in Orlando, Florida | Photo: Getty Images

Kobe Bryant holds his daughter Gianna while standing next to her mother Vanessa after Game Five of the NBA Finals on June 14, 2009, in Orlando, Florida | Photo: Getty Images

KOBE'S FAVORITE SONG

While they are no longer here, their memories forever live on. And in honor of their lives, a celebration of life event was held to honor those that passed away.

The event which was held at Staples Center often referred to as the "home of Kobe Bryant," had many people in attendance.

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The center, which initially holds 20,000 people, was filled to its capacity, and millions joined the ceremony online as it was live-streamed. The event started with a silent slideshow of the works of people who have tried to honor Kobe in their own little way.

After this, Beyonce came on to present one of Kobe's favorite songs, "XO." An all-white choir backed her, and the audience joined in the singing. After the song was done, Beyonce performed a tear-jerking rendition of "Halo."

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The emotions could be felt in the entire audience as the violinists joined in on the song. The moment was surreal and brought tears to the eyes of those who viewed it.

IN HONOUR OF KOBE

To honor the great legend, Jimmy Kimmel was asked to lead the event, and he could not help but break down in tears as he read out the names of those who were involved in the helicopter crash.

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As the camera panned the center, many stars could be seen as they came out to honor the dearly departed.

They have all touched the lives of those around them.

Some of those in attendance included: Kim Kardashian-West, Kanye West, LeBron James, Steph, and Ayesha Curry, Dwyane Wade, and his wife Gabrielle Union, among others.

The parents of Kobe were not missing from the event as well as his former team members and NBA legends like Shaquille O'Neal and Micheal Jordan.

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THE WOMAN THEY LOVED MOST

As the memorial progressed, Jimmy called on Vanessa Bryant to give an appreciation speech and a tribute to her loved ones. In her remarks, Vanessa thanked those who came for the celebration of life and said:

"The outpouring of love and support that my family has felt from around the world has been so uplifting. Thank you so much for all your prayers."

She then went on to give a tribute to Kobe and Gigi talking about their lives and how they tried to impact those around them in the best possible way they could.

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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DATE

The date for the event was not a coincidence; it was well thought out and properly planned. The date represents the numbers on the jersey of Gigi and Kobe, which are 2 and 24, respectively.

Kobe and Gigi, along with seven others, were killed in a helicopter crash that occurred on the 26th of January 2020.

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Others who were involved in the crash include Alyssa Altobelli, along with her parents, John and Ken Altobelli, Payton Chester, and Sarah Chester, as well as coach, Christina Mauser, and the pilot, Ara Zobayan.

The event of their passing might have been a sad one, but the celebration of their life has shown that despite their short time on earth, they have all touched the lives of those around them.

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