Kobe Bryant and the eight other victims of last week's tragic helicopter crash will be honored together in a public memorial service in Los Angeles later this month.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and the seven others who died in the crash in Calabasas on Jan. 26 will be memorialized on Feb. 24 at the Staples Center.
Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa Bryant, on Friday shared an announcement about the memorial service on Instagram, noting that the 2/24/20 date is symbolic since it includes Kobe and Gianna's basketball jersey numbers.
"#2, #24 #20 years as a Laker," she wrote.
The Staples Center was Kobe Bryant's home venue during his career with the Lakers. The arena has been an unofficial memorial site, a place where mourners have left candles, signs and other items in the days following the accident.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti revealed last week a memorial for the victims was being planned.
“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 told reporters, per the Los Angeles Times.
“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.”
