UPDATED: 5:24 p.m. ET, Feb. 11 —
A private funeral was held for Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, last week, according to reports. The father and daughter were reportedly buried on Friday at the Pacific View Mortuary in Corona Del Mar, California.
MORE: Rest In Power, Kobe And Gianna Bryant: Everything To Know About Their Private Funeral
The service came nearly two weeks after the two of them and seven others died on Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash in nearby Calabassas. It also came nearly two weeks ahead of a public memorial scheduled to take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 24.
Original story:
The details for a memorial for Kobe Bryant have been set, according to a news report. The public ceremony that will also honor the eight other people killed in a tragic helicopter crash will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 24. The Los Angeles Times cited “sources familiar with the event” in reporting the long-awaited news following the basketball legend’s death in the helicopter crash that also killed his daughter, Gianna, last month.
MORE: Kobe Bryant’s Sisters Break Their Silence And Share Exclusive Family Photos After Tragic Death
The date was significant as it was likely selected to match the retired jersey number that Bryant wore as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Twenty-four was also the number of years that he called Lis Angeles home after being drafted straight out of high school to the NBA in 1996.
However, there was still no announcement of when the funeral for Bryant and/or his daughter would take place.
Bryant’s memorial was announced nearly two weeks after the fateful helicopter crash in Southern California on Jan. 26.
The announcement confirmed that Bryant’s memorial would be happening during Black History Month, a fact that was not insignificant.
It was reported in the days after the tragedy that the Staples Center, where the Lakers play their home games, may not be the best place for a public memorial because if its relatively limited seating capacity. TMZ suggested that it may have been held at the L.A. Coliseum, which holds about 80,000 people compared to the Staples Center capacity of about 20,000.
The Staples Center was also a fitting location seeing that it became the site of one big makeshift public memorial once it was confirmed that Bryant died in the helicopter crash. Hundreds of people left flowers, candles, teddy bears and notes of support outside of the arena for days until Tuesday, which the city cleaned up items left for the memorial. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, requested that some of the items be given to her and her family, according to NBA Los Angeles.
Vanessa Bryant has been grieving in private as well as publicly by sharing intimate family photos via her Instagram account, which has seemingly proven cathartic for the new widow.
Los Angeles Mayor Gil Garcetti said last week that he and the city were working with Bryant’s family to schedule a public memorial.
“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,” Garcetti said to the media. “It’s a reminder how much unity we have, though. We are one city that believes in each other, believes in something bigger than ourselves and we will absolutely do everything to make sure that this is done so that everybody can come to it as well.”
SEE ALSO:
‘Free Bill Cosby’: Snoop Dogg Capes For Black Men While Slamming Oprah and Gayle King
Gayle King Accused Of Trying To ‘Tarnish’ Kobe’s Legacy For Bringing Up Sexual Assault Trial
