Kobe Bryant Memorial Set for Feb. 24 at Staples Center

Los Angeles will hold a public memorial for Kobe and Gianna Bryant at Staples Center on Feb. 24.

Jenna West | Feb 6, 2020

Kobe Bryant Memorial Set for Feb. 24 at Staples Center /

A memorial service for Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna will be held on Feb. 24 at Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa confirmed the date of the memorial in an Instagram post on Friday. The celebration of life service will be held at 10 a.m. PT.

Vanessa Bryant noted that the service's date–2/24/20–represents Kobe and Gianna's jersey numbers. Kobe Bryant wore No. 24 during his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Gianna Bryant sported No. 2 on her youth basketball team. The Lakers legend also played with Los Angeles for 20 seasons.

No additional details on the service were provided.

The memorial will come after a series of tributes have been held in Los Angeles following the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that killed Kobe and Gianna Bryant and seven others. Lakers fans gathered at Staples Center to mourn their deaths and left handwritten notes, flowers, pictures and candles on the sidewalks around the arena. Fans have also honored the victims at the crash site in Calabasas, Calif.

Last Friday, the Lakers paid tribute to Bryant before their game against the Trail Blazers. Players wore Bryant's jersey during warmups and were introduced by his name when the starters were announced. LeBron James read the names of everyone lost in the crash and delivered an off the cuff speech to reflect on Bryant's legacy. He ended his touching tribute with the words, "Not forgotten. Live on, brother."

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti previously said a memorial was in the works.

"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 said, per the L.A. 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."