An official Kobe Bryant memorial looks likely on February 24 at the Staples Center, where he once dominated the court for the LA Lakers
- A memorial will be held on February 24 to commemorate Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others who died in a helicopter crash, the Los Angeles Times and CNN reported.
- According to CNN the date 2/24 has special significance - 24 was Bryant's jersey number and 2 was his daughter Gianna's.
- The event will have a tight timeframe because a a basketball game between the LA Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies is scheduled right after, the Times said.
- The Staples Center has already become an unofficial focus of mourning for Bryant since he, Gianna, and seven others were killed on January 26.
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A public memorial in honor of Kobe Bryant is due to be held at his old stomping ground of the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, according to the LA Times.
The event is being planned for Monday February 24, according to two unnamed sources who spoke to the Times, as well as sources who spoke to CNN. It has not been officially announced.
It will also honor Bryant's daughter Gianna, and the seven others who died in the same helicopter crash in Los Angeles County in late January.
The Times's sources said the date was set after talks with Bryant's widow Vanessa, the Staples Center, and The Lakers organization. A Lakers spokesperson has no comment when contacted by Business Insider.
The bodies of all nine victims from the January 26 crash were returned to their families this week by medical examiners in Los Angeles.
According to the LA Times, the Staples Center memorial will be relatively brief, as it needs to finish in time for a scheduled game between the LA Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies, which starts at 7:30 p.m. local time.
CNN noted that the date 2/24 could be symbolic: Bryant wore the number 24 jersey for the latter part of his career, and Gianna played in number 2 in youth basketball games.
The Staples Center has already become a focus for memorials to Bryant. Fans made their own memorial outside the day after he died, coating the ground outside with flowers, jerseys and other tributes.
A previously planned game between the LA Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers also became a Bryant tribute, with celebrity performances, a speech from LeBron James, and two empty courtside seats for Bryant and Gianna.
Last week, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told the local news channel ABC7 that Bryant should have some kind of public memorial in the city where he spent 20 years as a stand-out player with the Lakers.
"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 later told the LA Times.
The other victims of the crash were John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, and Ara Zobayan, the pilot.
- Read more:
- Kobe Bryant's body has been returned to his family, who can now organize a funeral for him and Gianna
- LeBron James gave a loving eulogy to his 'brother' Kobe Bryant before the Lakers first game since tragic helicopter accident
- Kobe Bryant, 41, dies in helicopter crash in Calabasas, California
- Lakers fans paid tribute to NBA legend Kobe Bryant by leaving more than 1,300 basketballs outside the Staples Center