Thousands of people attended the Kobe Bryant memorial service at the Staples Center on Feb. 24, including a number of celebrities. Of course, members of the Los Angeles Lakers — like LeBron James — were at the event, where they mourned the loss of the team legend. Tons of other NBA stars were there to pay their respects, as well. The first celebrity to grace the stage was Beyonce, who kicked off the event with a powerful performance of “XO” and “Halo,” which had the crowd singing along, while many were already in tears.
Fellow Los Angeles Lakers legend, Magic Bryant, was also at the memorial, and he was photographed hugging Kobe’s mom, Pam Bryant, in the crowd. Kobe’s dad, Joe Bryant, was also seen in the crowd, and at one point, he conversed with another Lakers star, Derek Fisher. Other celebrities in the crowd included Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner. Basketball players like Steph Curry, Michael Jordan and more were also in attendance.
Kobe was killed in a tragic helicopter crash alongside his daughter, Gianna Bryant, and seven other victims on Jan. 26. The memorial also featured tributes to the others who tragically lost their lives. The copter was traveling to Gianna’s basketball game at the Mamba Academy when it crashed, and two of her teammates, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, along with some of their family members, as well as a coach, Christina Mauser, were also on board.
Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, and their three surviving daughters (Natalia, 17, Bianca, 3, and Capri, 8 mos.) were able to privately mourn Kobe during a private funeral on Feb. 7. However, Vanessa was also involved with the planning of the public memorial, and promoted it on her Instagram in the weeks leading up to the event.