She emphasized Kobe Bryant's paternal devotion, which had only grown after his retirement from the Lakers. Follow @brohrbach, More Kobe Bryant coverage from Yahoo Sports: • Michael Lee: How Kobe became the NBA’s godfather • Mamba Moments: 20 snapshots from 20 years of Kobe • Eric Adelson: What if Kobe’s darkest chapter happened today? He was my everything.”. • Vikings star salutes Kobe with cleats, TD celebration, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson sat next to each other at Shaquille O’Neal’s statue unveiling in March. But the siblings, who saw their first Lakers game at the Forum against the Utah Jazz in the 1990s, said they couldn’t miss it. Jennifer Lopez’s face said it all while Vanessa Bryant spoke about daughter Gianna and husband Kobe Bryant during the memorial for the two held Monday. Everything you need to know about sports betting starts here. Kobe Bryant was a passionate advocate for women’s basketball, and Gigi Bryant was a promising young player who aspired to play at UConn. I’ll play for him and win championships, but I will have no interaction with him.” Yet at the same time, it drove me at a maniacal pace. “Now it’s just reality,” he said. Keys performed Beethoven's “Moonlight Sonata” later in the program, and Aguilera sang “Ave Maria.”. “But when I came back for my second stint with the Lakers, Kobe and I worked it all out. ?”, That was Kobe's 7th trip to the Finals. “He had to bring them home to have them together. He was my everything.”. Jordan, the Chicago Bulls star whose career was wrapping up as Bryant's was starting in the late 1990s, praised Bryant as “one of my dear friends. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joined Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Phil Jackson, Dwyane Wade and dozens of current NBA players. His friends and family told the world. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Bryant's athletic achievements were only part of the reason roughly 20,000 people gathered Monday for a public memorial service honoring him at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. We're still the best team.”. As word spread of Kobe Bryant's death in a helicopter crash in Southern California, reactions of shock and love for the man poured in from around the NBA. 1 hour ago. O'Neal and Bryant joined the Lakers together in 1996 and won three consecutive championships during eight tumultuous seasons in purple and gold. Vanessa Bryant was followed on the podium by basketball stars Diana Taurasi and Sabrina Ionescu and University of Connecticut women's coach Geno Auriemma. “I’m sure Kobe was pissed when I wrote in ‘The Last Season’ that he was uncoachable. And I got Nati, Bibi and Coco. Fans, many wearing Bryant's jersey or team colors, filled the seats at the arena where Bryant played for the final 17 seasons of a two-decade NBA career spent entirely with Los Angeles' most popular sports franchise. Michael Jordan called Bryant “a little brother” and said that when he died, "a piece of me died.”. Los Angeles already knew Bryant was much more than a basketball icon. “I’m glad they did this so we could move on and heal.”. He was like a little brother. The National Transportation Safety Board has not concluded what caused the crash on the outskirts of Los Angeles County but said there was no sign of mechanical failure. The five-time NBA champion's two retired jersey numbers — 8 and 24 — hang high above the arena where he became the third-leading scorer in league history. I was like a wild horse that had the potential to become Secretariat, but who was just too f***ing wild. Asking me,”aren’t you happy! But he was unable to travel from his Montana home for the ceremony in Los Angeles. Jackson retired to Montana following his exit after three seasons as president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks. “Kobe lived to make other people’s lives better, all the way up to his final text,” Pelinka said. Ben Rohrbach is a contributor for Yahoo Sports. Kobe Bryant’s mentor and NBA legend Phil Jackson shared some heartfelt words about the former Los Angeles Laker who died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday. Money from ticket sales at the sold-out memorial will be given to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, which supports youth sports programs in underserved communities and teaches sports to girls and women. Calling Bryant “a loyal friend and a true Renaissance man," O'Neal said the pair "pushed each other to play some of the greatest basketball of all time.”, O'Neal also got the biggest laugh in the somber service with a profane joke about an exchange in which Shaq told Kobe there was no “I” in team, but Bryant responded by noting that there is an “M-E.”, The ceremony began with Beyonce performing her songs “XO” and “Halo" with dozens of backup musicians. DeJesus said she got notified late that she had received tickets in a lottery and wasn’t sure if she wanted to pay that much. Public memorial service remembers the private Kobe Bryant, Fact-checking Trump and Biden during 2nd presidential debate, Mass grave discovered in search for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre victims, 'Yes, I'm nervous': Mayor urges calm after police shooting of unarmed Black couple, Former NBA player Michael Jordan speaks during a celebration of life for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, in Los Angeles. I gave him more of a license to do his thing, as long as it stayed within the overall context of the triangle. He saved my life, Uptown Apple store in Minneapolis closes permanently, Kobe Bryant's widow sues helicopter operator for deaths, Live: Memorial service for Kobe and Gianna Bryant. Anyway, I’ve always seen Kobe as a truly great player, an intelligent guy and a remarkable person.”. Hours before the service, Vanessa Bryant sued the owner of the helicopter that crashed in the fog. 24. Bryant: Well, most successful people are a little arrogant…. DeJesus called the ceremony “very emotional” and cried throughout. So he would take shots at me in the press, and I understood he was doing that in order to ingratiate himself to Shaq. 1. Watch it here, The Latest: Kobe Bryant service ends with Oscar-winning film, Timeline of events for the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash, Love of basketball put Bryant, others on final fatal flight. SALT LAKE CITY - MAY 09: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers talks with Head Coach Phil Jackson against the Utah Jazz in Game Three of the Western Conference Semifinals during the … The Lakers organization had a lot of turnover during and after Kobe Bryant's 20 seasons, but there are still many current employees who were close to him. The ceremony included musical numbers by Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera. “If I represented the present of the women’s game, Gigi represented the future, and Kobe knew it,” said Ionescu, the Oregon star who was mentored by Bryant. Kobe Bryant’s Widow Vanessa Lists Tuscan-Style Southern California Home, Ex-49ers star Dana Stubblefield sentenced to 15 years to life following rape conviction, Nets' Spencer Dinwiddie parts ways with agent at Roc Nation ahead of player option: report, No fans at Bulldogs game this Saturday, but Red Wave will still be there in spirit, Classic Spy Photos Of The Week: Aborted Acura NSX With V10 Engine, Single Moms In New York Looking For a New Beginning, NFL moves Seahawks-Cardinals to Sunday night in case Buccaneers-Raiders gets postponed due to COVID-19, The Holiday Bowl won't be played in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael Lee: How Kobe became the NBA’s godfather, Mamba Moments: 20 snapshots from 20 years of Kobe. “God knew they couldn't be on this Earth without each other,” said Vanessa Bryant, who had been with Kobe since 1999. “The crash was a tragedy for multiple families. DeJesus called the ceremony “very emotional” and cried throughout. Kobe Bryant's former head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, released a statement Sunday after Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other people died … 8 and 24 at halftime of Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors at the Staples Center, but the coach who steered him to all five of his NBA championships in purple and gold is reportedly unable to attend the jersey retirement ceremony. Not a single fucking smile. “I’m glad they did this so we could move on and heal.”. And I got Nati, Bibi and Coco. "Kobe was … I always thought the relationship between Kobe and Shaq deteriorated over time, but … Although their relationship was often rocky in public, O'Neal said the two were always friendly in private, even comparing their dynamic to John Lennon and Paul McCartney. O'Neal and Bryant joined the Lakers together in 1996 and won three consecutive championships during eight tumultuous seasons in purple and gold. And, yes, we were often at loggerheads. My girl watched the game with me and was confused when I didn’t freak out lol. Eric Adelson: What if Kobe’s darkest chapter happened today? Michael Jordan had tears streaming down his face as he paid tribute to his “little brother” Kobe Bryant at his “Celebration of Life” at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Monday. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Because either consciously or unconsciously, he put a tremendous amount of pressure on me to be efficient, and to be great, and to be great now. By . He’s also very intelligent, and he understood the dynamic he had to deal with between me and Shaq. Man, I miss Kobe . 2? NBA Commissioner Adam Silver joined Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Phil Jackson, Dwyane Wade and dozens of current NBA players. Phil Jackson cannot make the trip for undisclosed reasons, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne: Jackson has been in touch with Bryant in advance of the ceremony to congratulate him, sources said. Anyone remember how Phil Jackson and Kobe used to run our WCF trophy ceremonies like the Lakers were at a funeral? Luke Walton, who spent a nearly decade as Kobe Bryant's teammate with the Lakers, took time to check out the fan-made memorials at L.A. Live.

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