Practically everything about what would happen at Kobe Bryant’s memorial was a mystery to nearly everyone watching, and when Beyoncé took the stage to open the celebration of life, a gasp went up among the until-then subdued crowd at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The big screen in the arena soon showed that many major entertainment figures were in the audience along with the expected NBA stars, including Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.
The memorial’s other musical moments would provide their own surprises. A harp and grand piano that a scrambling crew set up on stage between speakers led to speculation about who else would perform. The harp accompanied Christina Aguilera as she sang “Ave Maria,” a nod to the Bryant family’s Catholic faith and to Kobe Bryant’s Italian upbringing.
Even more tears came as he listed the names of the nine killed in the helicopter crash, and he was practically weeping when he said of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, “everywhere you look you see his face, his number, Gigi’s face, Gigi’s number.” He drew laughs from the tears when he said those places included ”Boston, for God’s sake. In places where he would be booed on the court, Kobe was missed. Even the great Boston Celtic Bill Russell wore number 24 and a Lakers jersey to yesterday’s game.
“Kobe’s last human act was heroic,” Pelinka said. “He wanted to use his platform to bless and shape a young girl’s future.”It was not clear when Shaquille O’Neal took the stage that he would be the final speaker, but in retrospect it could not have been more fitting that the man whose name will always be tied to Bryant’s went last in the building where they built their legacy together.
The always playful Shaq showed why he and the refined, serious Bryant were such an odd couple. “Sometimes like immature kids, we argued, we fought, we bantered or insulted each other,” O’Neal said. But, he added, ”when the cameras were turned off we threw a wink at each other and said, ‘Let’s go and whoop some ass.” And he showed Bryant wasn’t above having the occasional outrageous moment himself. He recalled an early conflict with Bryant, who wasn’t passing as much as O’Neal would’ve liked.
Rumor has it that he has a son out there don’t know if it’s just gossip but one of the sites is just sitting on the story for now.
MarkDavis Time to move on. No really, it is...
maggieNYT It was a beautiful ceremony and cant imagine how hard it had to be for his wife to give two eulogies.
Kobe Bryant was a rapist.
Zzzzzzzzz
What about all the other people who die everyday?
Wait, Is this the same Kobe that raped that woman that worked at the hotel where he was staying? or is that a different Kobe? As Weinstein is carted off to jail, we are all reminded thay being a black man actually means you’re never held to account for what you do. JohnFugelsang
Lol, he put a ball in a hoop and y'all are all like 'alalalallalalallalalalla....he was such a great person!!!'
Was the chick that he raped there?
😥😥😥
R.I.P. Kobe and Gianna our country grieves a massive loss and prays for comfort for your family.
I genuinely wonder why LeBron wasn’t there. He’s a freakin Laker ffs
All I know is I cried from beginning to end
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