Several celebs took the stage this Monday to celebrate the lives of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant.
Beyonce opened up the Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna at the Staples Center, and several of Kobe’s friends took the stage to share their fondest memories of the iconic ballplayer and media mogul. Kobe’s longtime friend, agent, and Lakers general manager, Rob Pelinka, took the stage for Kobe’s eulogy, noting Kobe was the world’s greatest #GirlDad.
Alicia Keys and Christiana Aguilera also performed, and Jimmy Kimmel hosted the more than two-hour-long event. #MichaelJordan shared a tear-filled speech about Kobe, mentioning how the two were always compared but also how he saw him as a younger sibling. Kobe’s Lakers teammate #ShaquilleONeal also recited another eulogy and shared anecdotes about Kobe’s iconic no-passing behavior on the court. “I said, ‘I’ll talk to him,’” O’Neal said. “I said, ‘Kobe, there’s no I in team.’ And Kobe said, ‘I know, but there’s an M and E in that motherf*cker. I got back and told [the guys], “Just get the rebound he’s not passing.”
Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, was introduced by Kimmel. Vanessa started off talking about how her “baby girl” Gianna was sweet, graceful, and always remembered to give her kisses when she left to begin her day. “Gigi was very competitive like her daddy, but she had a sweet grace about her. Her smile was like sunshine. Her smile took up her entire face, like mine. Kobe always said she was me. She had my fire, my personality, and sarcasm, and she was tender and loving on the inside. She had the best laugh. It was infectious. It was pure and genuine,” said Vanessa. Moving on to Kobe, who she referred to as her “everything,”
“I couldn’t see him as a celebrity nor just an incredible basketball player. He was my sweet husband and the beautiful father of my children. He was mine. He was my everything,” she said.
In closing, she wished her two loves farewell until next time. “We love and miss you, Boo-Boo and Gigi. May you both rest in peace and have fun in heaven until we meet again one day. We love you both and miss you forever and always, Mommy.”
Other attendees included Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Dwight Howard, Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, and more. More than 20,000 people were in attendance, and there was no program for the ceremony
RIP Kobe & Gianna Bryant’s