Feb. 7 (UPI) — A public memorial for Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant and the seven other people killed in a helicopter crash in January will be held later this month.
The memorial will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 24, the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles news station KTTV reported on Thursday.
For weeks people have gathered outside of the stadium and the site in Calabasas where the plane crashed killing Bryant, his daughter, Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan on Jan. 26.
The Lakers held a tribute for Bryant and the other victims during their game against the Portland Trailblazers last Friday, which LeBron James declaried a celebration of “the 20 years of the blood, the sweat, the tears, the broken-down body, the getting up, the sitting down, the everything” he brought to the team during his career.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said last week that the city was preparing for a memorial that will serve as a reminder of “how much unity we have.”
“I think one message that I would say is this is not just about a man who was a basketball player, this is about a father, this is about a leader, this is about a filmmaker, this is about an artist, this is about somebody who was so much more than just how he was on the court,” he said.
