Vanessa Bryant delivered emotional remarks about her late husband Kobe and daughter Gianna at the public memorial service honouring their lives at the Staples Center on Monday.
As she announced earlier this month, the “Celebration of Life” was held on a special date: 2/24/20 — #2 for Gigi’s jersey number, #24 for Kobe’s jersey number, and 20 for the number of years the All-Star played in the NBA.
This will be the first time Vanessa Bryant is speaking publicly since her husband and daughter’s death in a helicopter crash along with seven others on January 26th, 2020.
In front of a crowd of thousands of people, she opened up about the pain she has experienced after losing two of the loves of her life.
Vanessa Bryant recalled how Gianna and her dad gravitated toward each other and shared a “secret talent” of learning the lyrics to songs after hearing them only a few times.
“She was an incredible athlete. She was great at gymnastics, soccer, softball, dance and basketball,” the girl’s mother said.
“Gigi was confident but not in an arrogant way. She loved helping and teaching other people things. At school, she offered the boys’ basketball coaches to help give the boys’ basketball team some pointers – like the triangle offense.”
With many in the arena in tears, she moved on to Bryant, her “soulmate,” and regaled the crowd with stories of his romantic side.
He always went big on Valentine’s Day and anniversaries, she said, once giving her the blue dress actor Rachel McAdams wore in “The Notebook.”
“I couldn’t see him as a celebrity, nor just an incredible basketball player,” she said. “He was my sweet husband and the beautiful father of our children. He was mine. He was my everything. … Kobe loved me more than I could express or put into words.”
NBA legend Michael Jordan also gave a stirring speech in honor of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant.
According to Michael who cried through most of the emotional tribute, Bryant was “like a little brother” to him.
“You know, all of us have brothers, sisters — little brothers, little sisters for whatever reason always tend to get in your stuff, your closet, your shoes, everything.
It was a nuisance, if I can say that word, but that nuisance turned into love over time.”
Jordan, considered by many to be basketball’s GOAT, recalled an up-and-coming Bryant calling him late at night, bothering him about post-up moves, footwork or other intricacies of the game they would go on to master.
“This kid had passion like you would never know. He wanted to be the best basketball player that he could be, and as I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be.
“When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died, and as I look at this arena and across the globe, a piece of you died,” he said. “I promise you, from this day forward, I will live with the memories of knowing that I had a little brother that I tried to help in every way I could. Please rest in peace, little brother.”
Fans packing the sold-out Staples Center to honor Bryant’s legacy were welcomed to the arena by no less than one of the biggest pop stars on Earth, Beyonce.
Performing with a band and choir clad in all white, Beyonce invited the audience to sing along with her as she belted out her song, “XO,” featuring the lyrics, “In the darkest night hour, I’ll search through the crowd/Your face is all that I see; I’ll give you everything.”
“I’m here because I love Kobe,” Beyonce told the crowd, “and that was one of his favorite songs.”
