Kobe Bryant’s memorial service to be at Staples Center

According to The New York Times, there will be a memorial service for Kobe Bryant at Staples Center on February 24. It will be a public service and all nine victims who died in the helicopter crash will be honoured.

The date of February 24 has significance. The date of 24 is in honour of Bryant, who wore number 24 with the Lakers from 2006 to 2016. Bryant wore number eight the first 10 years of his basketball career with the Lakers from 1996 to 2006.

The second month of February also has significance. That is because it honours the number two, which was worn by Bryant’s daughter Gianna, who also died in the helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.

Investigations are still going on for the cause of the crash. According to Business Insider, the helicopter did not have a black box on board to record what happened on the aircraft leading up to the fatalities.

Since Bryant’s death, the Lakers have a record of two wins and two losses. They defeated the Sacramento Kings 129-113 on February 1 and the San Antonio Spurs 129-102 on February 4. The Lakers also lost to the Portland Trail Blazers 127-119 on January 31 and to the Houston Rockets 121-111. The Lakers game against the Los Angeles Clippers, which was scheduled on January 28 (two days after Bryant’s death) has not yet been rescheduled.

Having the memorial service at Staples Center is obviously challenging when it comes to scheduling a date because the arena hosts the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association, as well as the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. In fact, the Clippers are still scheduled to host the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center on the evening of February 24. The Lakers are scheduled to host the Boston Celtics on the afternoon of February 23 and the New Orleans Pelicans on the evening of February 25. The Kings are hosting the Edmonton Oilers on the evening of February 23.