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Diana Taurasi, Sabrina Ionescu, Geno Auriemma speak at memorial for Kobe and GiGi Bryant

Photo Credit: Lamar Carter

January 26th 2020 will be remembered as one of the most tragic days in sports history with the news that Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others aboard a helicopter in California had lost their lives in a crash outside of Los Angeles.

February 24 will be remembered as one of the most solemn days in sports history when a memorial was held at Staples Center to share their remembrances of the man many call the greatest of all time – and the young woman who was poised to follow in his footsteps.

The crowd at Staples Center, as expected, included a hefty contingent of celebrities – including Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Kanye West, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, Snoop Dogg and Christina Aguilera.

It also included a large contingent of former and current NBA stars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson … as well as Bill Russell, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Kuzma, DeMar Derozan and Kyrie Irving .. as well as Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi from the WNBA realm in addition to Kara Lawson, Candace Parker, Nneka Ogwumike and Katie Lou Samuelson.

In fact – the first two speakers from the basketball arena were Taurasi and Sabrina Ionescu. Geno Auriemma, the coach of the team Gianna hoped to play for en route to the WNBA – UConn – was also at Staples for the proceedings.

Taurasi spoke of how she was particularly enthralled by watching Kobe Bryant and the fierceness that he approached the game with that defined his “Mamba Mentality.”


Watching Kobe play at the Great Western Forum as a rookie made this little girl believe she could be a Laker one day. It was like getting to know myself every single day. He made it okay to play with an edge that border-lined crazy.

–Diana Taurasi

All one had to do is watch Bryant’s on-court demeanor and his preparation and work ethic to understand that he was not simply pleased with being good. Bryant wanted to be great – and great he was which struck a nerve with many in his city.


Kobe’s willingness to do the hard work and make the sacrifice every single day inspired me and resonated with the city of Los Angeles.

–Diana Taurasi

Gianna was set to carry on his father’s legacy – and based on how she was progressing as a player before she even arrived at the college level, she was sure to have the WNBA in the palm of her hands when she made the pros.


The same passion we all recognized in Kobe, obviously GiGi inherited. Her skill was undeniable at an early age. I mean who has a turnaround fadeaway jumper at 11? LeBron barely got it today.

–Diana Taurasi

To Taurasi, Gianna was not only a great basketball player in the making – she symbolized how a young woman who wanted to play in sports could have aspirations of being in the WNBA.


GiGi in many ways represents the future of women’s basketball – a future where a young woman aspires to play in the WNBA the same way I wanted to be a Laker.

–Diana Taurasi


We promise to carry GiGi’s legacy.

–Diana Taurasi

As someone who had established a friendship with Kobe and was working out with Gianna, Ionescu’s connection to the Bryants is profound. Ionescu mentioned that Gianna not only had her father’s moves, but her dad’s tenacity when the ball was tipped.


GiGi had so much of her dad’s skillset. You can tell the amount of hours they spent in the gym practicing her moves. She smiled all the time, but when it was gametime she was ready to kill.

–Sabrina Ionescu


I remember one time someone grabbed her jersey and she sort of just knocked them down and then stepped right over them. Me and Kobe looked at each other, smiling, and he goes, ‘I don’t know where she learned that from.’ I laughed and said, ‘I do.’ You can’t teach that, and definitely not at her age.

–Sabrina Ionescu

Ionescu commented on how Kobe had a vision for her that was bigger than even he had for herself.


His vision for others is always bigger than what they imagine for themselves. His vision for me was way bigger than my own. More importantly, he didn’t just show up in my life and leave. He stayed.

–Sabrina Ionescu

She also told of one, somewhat, overlooked element of his legacy and impact – that those who made the extra efforts and worked the extra mile to be better became the norm.


He united us. He made it so that the outsiders who outworked everyone else, who were driven to be just a little bit different every single day to make those around them, behind them and above them a little bit better every single day. And they weren’t the exception, they were the rule.

–Sabrina Ionescu

As everyone knows, Bryant was a major supporter of women’s basketball and the WNBA. This was evident through him and Gianna sitting courtside at WNBA games and him teaching his daughter what he knew. Kobe was to be an ambassador for the game – women’s and men’s and Gianna’s presence in the pros would have only catapulted the W to new heights.


‘You have too much to give to stay silent.’ That’s what he said, that’s what he believed, that’s what he lived. Through GiGi, through me, through his investment in women’s basketball.

–Sabrina Ionescu

Needless to say, the proceedings were filled with emotional moments. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told of what Kobe was doing before tragedy struck. He was texting Pelinka on if he knew any baseball agents as he was hoping to get John Altobelli’s daughter an internship.

Basketball great Michael Jordan was also many of those who took the stage. He opened up about the special bond that he and Kobe shared. Bryant, of course, was inspired by Jordan and the two were the center of a contentious debate among fans on who was the greatest of all time.

But they actually were friends despite the much-ballyhooed debate.

While people wanted everyone to believe Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal had perpetual beef, that intensity was fueled by competition – and in reality, they both enhanced each other’s careers.

Those tearjerking moments only increased with musical tributes from Beyonce, Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys.

These have undoubtedly been the toughest moments of the life of Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant. Between the aftermath of tragedy and having to deal with such as a public figure can be too much for many to handle. She has displayed a great deal of strength in the face of tragedy – and did so again when she delivered her speech.


Babe, you take care of our Gigi. I got Nani, Bibi and Coco. We’re still the best team.

–Vanessa Bryant

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