Yesterday, the world paid their respects to Kobe and Gianna Bryant with a public memorial service at Los Angeles' Staples Center — the house that Kobe helped build. The event was called "A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant" and the date, February 24, was picked to pay homage to their jersey numbers, "24" and "2" respectively.
Vanessa Bryant and the family were joined by a number of Kobe's peers such as Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Rick Fox. Celebrities including JAY-Z, Snoop Dogg, Jennifer Lopez, Gabrielle Union, Kanye West, and Kim Kardashian were also in the building.
The program featured performances and speeches from Beyoncé, Shaq, Michael Jordan, and Vanessa Bryant, who shared a moving eulogy in honor of her late husband and 13-year-old daughter.
If you weren't able to attend the service or tune in for the live-stream, scroll below for our round-up of the most touching moments from Kobe and Gianna Bryant's memorial.
Vanessa Bryant shared personal memories of Kobe and Gigi
Vanessa Byant took the stage to share a heartbreaking eulogy in honor of her late husband and daughter. She shared funny stories about Kobe Bryant and remembered Gianna's love for her family and basketball. "Gianna would have been an amazing mommy. She likely would have become the best player in the WNBA."
She also recalled Kobe Bryant's romantic gestures, including gifting her the actual notebook and the blue dress Rachel McAdams wore in The Notebook. Vanessa explained that it was because of the scene when Allie returns to Noah. "We had hoped to grow old together like the movie. We really had an amazing love story.”
Beyoncé performed "XO" and "Halo"
The service opened up with a surprise performance from Beyoncé. Before singing "XO," the singer explained she was there "'cause I love Kobe and this is one of his favorite songs." Then she asked the crowd to sing along with her so Kobe and Gianna could "hear their love."
Michael Jordan gave a tearful speech
The basketball legend couldn't hold back tears while giving his eulogy. "I told my wife I wasn't going to do this because I didn't want to see this for the next three or four years. That is what Kobe Bryant does to me. Now he's got me and I'll have to look at another crying meme." Read more on that here.
Shaquille O'Neal remembered his former teammate
During his eulogy, Shaq recalled the moment Bryant gained his respect. Their Lakers teammates were complaining because Kobe would never pass the ball, so Shaq decided to confront him. "I said ‘Kobe, there’s no ‘I’ in team.’ then Kobe said, ‘I know, but there’s an ‘M-E’ in that motherfucker.’”
Christina Aguilera performed "Ave Maria" in Italian, Kobe's second language
Bryant was fluent in Italian — he grew up in the country while his father played professional basketball in Italy. As Kobe's love for Italy ran deep, Christina Aguilera sang "Ave Maria" in Italian. Check out the moving performance below.
Alicia Keys performed "Moonlight Sonata"
In honor of honor Kobe, Alicia Keys played Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" on a purple piano. Rob Pelinka, the Lakers' general manager, explained that Kobe had learned how to play Beethoven's song by ear as a surprise for his wife Vanessa.
Kobe Bryant's short film Dear Basketball closed the service
At the end of the service, Kobe Bryant's animated movie Dear Basketball played on the screen. The short movie, which came out in 2017, won an Academy Award for Best Short Film (Animated). Watch it below.
Jimmy Kimmel shared a poignant message
“I’ve been trying to come up with something positive to take away from this and it was hard because there isn’t much. But the best thing I think I was able to come up with is this: gratitude. It seems to me that all we can do is be grateful for the time we had with them. And for the time we have left with each other. And that’s all."
