That's the way it is. Says Bodies to work, but a studio to look like is the number one on the left hand and look him, that can be good game. The system has gotta take care of him back with school. And that's what I did. Is it fast enough so we can find a way to make a decision tonight, does this display? So I remember getting speeds, a bad background. And it could be someone, someone, someone.

Get you go and entertain ourselves. Good job. Now work in the market as a check out. I know things are getting better. You'll find work. Now get promoted and move out of the shelter. Buy a vacant house and live in the sub. Several men coming in. The bad guy was. You got a fax? I've got a job. I love big data. The boss know your friends and you do you know his home that maybe together you and me find that they've got no plans to go nowhere fast.

Come on, guys. Several men getting in your seat, the bad guy, they. Someone. Fast enough so you could die away. You got to make a decision. So too far to. Since some. This fee. Once upon a time, there was a young basketball player who had. Dreams of becoming one of the basketball. Well, I think there's a certain.

You see, greatness is kind of like a hard path to work hard. All these things have worked. You know, there's a lot of darkness there as well. Experience the person that you otherwise would just be off the profit goes for the state.

So why don't you go look for someone like this? It should be a celebration with tweezers. My goal was to give the city something to remember. Giving some talk about some will be excited.

We got a nice, nice. I think. Yes, I'm ready. Good morning and welcome to this celebration of life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant and their friends John Kerry and Alyssa Alter, Veli, Sara and Peyton, Chester, Christina Mouser and Ariza by and on behalf of Vanessa and the entire Bryant family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and appreciate your love and coming to celebrate the life of these remarkable individuals. Well, this is a memorial event.

The words celebration is very much a part of its purpose. And while we ask you to respect the solemnity of the occasion, we must not forget to celebrate the lives of Kobe, Jeanna and their friends. There is no doubt that he would have wanted that to begin this event. A very close friend of the Bryant family is here to show her love and support to Vanessa and all the families here today. Please welcome beyond, say, Knowles Carter.

You know, this is a. The is. Maybe kiss me, kiss. They turned that. I'm here because I love Kobe. And this was one of his favorite songs. So I want to start that over, but I want us to do it all together. And I want you to sing it so loud. They who you love. They already love you. This is. Even just. schad maybe. Kiss me a kiss before they turn the lights.

With all the time. That's. You leave it. Always D. You see before the term is run. That is why do we see. To be in the duck is that. Just give me. Or something. Maybe I met someone and didn't even put up the fight. Didn't even make this film truly. But I've never really had standing in the line of. Joumanah. They might be only 18 years and five months old, but this guy can do everything that the veterans can do and do it better.

Perhaps Kobe Bryant's.

We do wish you were you, but you not because of James Reback. He's been down doors to the doors to the world and we lost on the way because of James bring back memories and the memories bring back. Memories bring back. Is it done? No, no, no, no. If it does that say to you soon? Lonely. It doesn't say the word. You work hard and other dreams come true. Those times when you get up early and you work hard those times and you stay up late and you work hard.

Those times where you don't feel like work and you're too tired, you don't want to push yourself. But you do it anyway. That is actually the dream. That's the dream. It's not the destination. It's the journey. If you guys can understand that, then what you'll see happen is that you won't accomplish your dreams. Your dreams will come true. Something greater will go. A time when I was. Was and. Yes. And, you know, sometimes some.

Everything will be just insane. Wish you were here as a GS. He has always been in my heart. I sincerely, sincerely appreciate it. No words to describe how I feel about you guys. Thank you. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I love you guys. Thank you. What can I say, Mom, about. Our thanks go out to be on, say, for being with us today and for expressing her love so beautifully.

Another good friend of the Bryants and the Laker family is here to help guide us through this morning's celebration. Would you please welcome Jimmy Kimmel? Well, you you pick the wrong person to guide you through. I'm going to tell you that right now, I want to thank everyone for being here. And thank you for gathering to celebrate the lives of our lives out of belly. Her parents, John and carry out the belly pain and Chester. Her mother, Sarah Chester.

Christina Mouser Ariza by Ann G-G Bryant and her father, Kobe Bryant.

This is a sad day, but it is also a celebration. Of life, of their lives and of life itself in the building where those of us who are Lakers fans and Kobe fans celebrated so many of the best times of our lives. And I'm honored to have been asked to speak here. The proceeds from the tickets you bought go directly to the Mama Mamba seat, a sports foundation which supports youth sports in underserved communities.

And I also encourage you to go to mama on three, dawg, to give to the Mama on Three fund, which was created to honor and provide financial support to the Chester, Alta Beli, Zubi in and Mouser Families.

I can only imagine how. People this is for them. I don't think any of us. Could have imagined this. Everywhere you go. You see, his face is no. Gages face is no. Everywhere at every intersection. There are hundreds of murals painted by artists who are inspired not because he is a basketball player, but because Kobe was an artist, too, and not just in L.A.. Across the country, in Kobe's hometown. Philadelphia in Italy.

In India, the Philippines, China, New York, Phoenix, Boston. For God's sake. In places where he would be booed on the court, Kobe is miss even the great Boston insulting Bill Russell or number twenty.

And the Lakers jersey to yesterday's game. I knew he would come to us eventually. Today, we're joined by Kobe's teammates and opponents alike, his friends, his family and his fans as we try to make sense of what happened to these nine beautiful people. Who are, by all accounts, so full of life, who left behind parents, friends, co-workers, classmates, siblings and children. I've been trying to come up with. But something positive did take away from Mison.

It was hard because there isn't much, but. The best thing I think I was able to come up with is this gratitude. It seems to me that all we could do is be grateful for the time we had with them and for the time we have left with each other. And that's all. In the in the Catholic Church, you know, which the Bryant family is part of. At Mass, we share the sign of peace. This is a moment to.

Hug or shake hands with people around you, when it occurred to me that that is something that only seems to happen at church and at sporting events when perfect strangers who love the same team are suddenly hugging and high fiving and celebrating together. And so. Since we are here today to celebrate, I like to invite you right now to take a moment to say hello to the people around you, whether you know them or not. To be grateful for life and for the fact that we are all here together.

Now, I'd like to introduce the person who invited us all here today on 2:24 because she knew we needed it and we cannot celebrate the lives of Kobie and G-G and. All the people we lost without honoring the woman that Kobe and G-G love most, please welcome Vanessa Bryant.

Thank you. Thank you all so much for being here. So much to us. I love you, too. First, I'd like to thank everyone for coming today. The outpouring of love and support that my family has felt from around the world has been so uplifting. Thank you so much for all your prayers. I'd like to talk about both Kobe and G-G. But I'll start with my baby girl first. My baby girl. Chiana Bryant is an amazingly sweet and gentle soul.

She was always thoughtful. She always kissed me goodnight and kissed me good morning.

There were a few occasions where I was absolutely tired from being up with Beyoncé and Capri and I thought she had left school without saying goodbye.

I text and say no kiss and Gianna would reply with Mama, I kissed you. You were asleep and I didn't want to wake you. She knew how much her morning and evening kisses meant to me, and she was so thoughtful to remember to kiss me every day. She was daddy's girl.

But I know she loved her mama and she would always tell me and show me how much she loved me. She was one of my very best friends. She loved to bake. She loved putting a smile on everyone's face. Last August, she made a beautiful birthday cake for her daddy. It had fogged. It looked like it had blue agate crystals. Kobe's birthday cake look like it was professionally decorated. She made the best chocolate chip cookies. She loved watching cooking shows and Cupcake Wars with me.

And she loved watching Survivor and NBA games on TV with her daddy. She also loved watching Disney movies with her sisters. G-G was very competitive like her daddy, but Jeanna had a sweet grace about her. Her smile was like sunshine. Her smile took up her entire face like mine. Kobe always said she was me. She had my fire, my personality and sarcasm. She was tender and loving on the inside. She had the best laugh. It was infectious.

It was pure and genuine. Kobe and Gianna naturally gravitated towards each other. She had Kobe's ability to listen to a song and have all the lyrics memorized. After listening to the song a couple of times, it was their secret talent. She was an incredible athlete. She was great at gymnastics, soccer, softball, dance and basketball. She was an incredible dancer, too. She loved to swim, dance. Do cartwheels and jumps into our swimming pool.

And G.G. loved her. Tick-Tock dances. G-G was confident, but not in an arrogant way. She loved helping and teaching other people things at school. She offered the boys basketball coaches to help give the boys basketball team some pointers, like the triangle offense. She was very much like her daddy and that they both liked helping people learn new things and master them. They were great teachers. G-G was very sweet. She always made sure everyone was OK.

She was our shepherd. She always kept her family together. She loved family traditions, family movie night and game night on vacations were important to her. Did you always looked out for everyone? She was very much in tune with our feelings and wanted the best for us.

Gianna was smart. She knew how to read, speak and write Mandarin. She knew Spanish.

She had great grades and kept them up, all while becoming an incredible basketball player. She was president of School Spirit on Student Council. She was director's assistant for her school play, just like her big sister. She was looking forward to graduating eighth grade and moving on to high school with her big sister, Natalia. I'm so happy she was given the opportunity to know that she was accepted to the same high school. She was really happy. Gianna made us all proud and she still does.

John never tried to conform. She was always herself. She was a nice person, a leader, a teacher wearing a white T. Black leggings, a denim jacket, white high top converse and a flannel tied around her waist with straight hair was their go to style. She had so much swag and rhythm ever since she was a baby, she gave the best hugs and the best kisses. She had gorgeous soft lips like her daddy. She would hug me and hold me so tight.

I could feel her love me. I loved the way she looked up at me while hugging me. It was as if she was soaking me all in. We love each other so much. I'm missing so much. She was so energetic. I couldn't keep up with her energy. She left Nathalia and I on a track once. She was about 6 years old. We let her have a head start. She still bested us. I miss her sweet kisses.

I miss her cleverness. I miss her sarcasm, her wit. And that adorable sly side smile followed with a grin and a burst of laughter. We shared the same cat that eat the canary gren to do with sunshine. She brightened up my day every day. I'm just looking at her beautiful face. She was always so good a rule follower. I knew I could always count on her to do the right thing. She was the most loving daughter, thoughtful little sister and silly big sister.

She happily helped carry the Lidle's diaper bag or played with them. She liked helping me with beyonc and Capri. Bianca loved going to the playground, swimming and jumping on the trampoline with G-G. I used to tell G-G that I thought Coco considered her her favorite sister. Capri would smile from ear to ear when G-G walked into the room and Capri reminds me a lot of Jeanna. They look alike and just smile with their whole face, pure joy. We will not be able to see G-G go to high school with Natalia and ask her, our day went.

We didn't get the chance to teach her how to drive a car. I won't be able to tell her how gorgeous she looks on her wedding day. He'll never get to see my baby girl walk down the aisle. Have a father daughter dance with her daddy. Dance on the dance floor with me or have babies of her own. Jonno would've been an amazing mommy. She was very maternal ever since she was really little. G-G would have most likely become the best player in the WNBA.

She would have made a huge difference. She would have made a huge difference for women's basketball. G-G was motivated to change the way everyone viewed women in sports. She wrote papers in school defending women and wrote about how the unequal pay difference for the NBA and WNBA leagues wasn't fair. And I truly feel she made positive changes for the WNBA players now since they knew g.d goal was to eventually play in the WNBA. I'm still so proud of Jaana. She made a difference and was kind to everyone she met and the 13 year she was here on earth.

Her classmates shared many fond memories about SIAHNA with us, and those stories reminded me that Gianna loved and showed everyone that no act of kindness is ever too small to make a difference in someone's life. She was always, always, always considered of others and their feelings. She was a beautiful, kind, happy, silly, thoughtful and loving daughter and sister. She was so full of life. And has so much more to offer this world. I cannot imagine life without her.

Mommy Nathalia, Bianca Capri and Daddy love you so much, G-G. I will miss your sweet handmade cards, your sweet kisses and your gorgeous smile. I miss you, all of you. Every day I love you. Well, my. Keeping Kobe was known as a fierce competitor on the basketball court. The greatest of all time, a writer, an Oscar winner and the Black Mamba.

But to me, he was Ko-Ko, my Bo-Bo, my Baiba, my Boppy Tullow. I was his VB, his principal, Sam, his Raina, his queen, mama, mama and his viscusi, many ski, family ski. I couldn't see him as a celebrity, nor just an incredible basketball player. He was my sweet husband and the beautiful father of our children. He was mine. He was my everything. Kobe and I have been together since I was 17 and a half years old.

I was his first girlfriend, his first love, his wife, his best friend, his confident and his protector. He was the most amazing husband. Kobe loved me more than I could ever express or put into words. He was the early bird and I was a night owl. I was fire and he was ice and vice versa. That time. We balance each other out. He would do anything for me. I have no idea how I deserved a man that loved and wanted me more than Kobe.

He was charismatic, a gentleman. He was loving her, adoring and romantic. He was truly the romantic one in our relationship and looked forward to Valentine's Day and our anniversaries. Every year he planned special anniversary trips and a special traditional gift for every year of our marriage. He even handmaid my most treasured gifts. He just thought outside the box it was so thoughtful, even while working hard to be the best athlete. He gave to me the actual notebook and the blue dress Rachel McAdams wore in the notebook moving.

When I asked him why he chose the blue dress, he said it was because the scene when Ali comes back to Noah. We had hoped to grow old together like the movie. We really had an amazing love story. We loved each other with our whole beings, to perfectly imperfect people, making a beautiful family and raising our sweet and amazing girls. A couple weeks before they passed, Kobe sent me a sweet text. I mentioned how he wanted to spend time together, just the two of us without our kids.

Because I'm his best friend first. We never got the chance to do it. We were busy taking care of our girls and just doing our regular everyday responsibilities. But I'm thankful I have that recent text. It means so much to me. Kobe wanted us to renew our vows. He wanted Nathalia to take over his company and he wanted to travel the world together. We had always talked about how we'd be the fun grandparents to our daughters children. He would have been the coolest grandpa.

Kobe was the MVP of girl dads or MVD. He never left the toilet seat up. He always told the girls how beautiful and smart they are. He taught them how to be brave and how to keep pushing forward when things get tough.

And when Kobe retired from the NBA, he took over, dropping off and picking up our girls from school since I was at home pregnant with Bianca and just recently home nursing Capri. When Kobe was still playing, I used to show up an hour early to be the first in line to pick up Nathalia and Gianna from school, and I told him he couldn't drop the ball once he took over. He was late one time and we most definitely let him know that I was never late.

So he showed up one hour and 20 minutes early after that. He always knew there was room for improvement and wanted to do better. He happily did carpool and enjoyed spending time in the car with our girls. He was a doting father, a father that was hands on and present. He helped me bathe Biankin Kypri almost every night. He would sing them silly songs in the shower and continue making them laugh and smile as he lathered them lotion and got them ready for bed.

He had magic arms that could put Capri to sleep and only a few minutes. He said he had it down to a science. Eight times up and down our hallway. He loved taking beyonc at a fashion island to watch her play in the koi pond area and love taking her to the park. Their most recent visit to the koi pond was the evening before he and G-G passed. He shared a love of movies and the breakdown of films with Nathalia.

He enjoyed renting out theaters and taking athelete to watch the newest Star Wars movie or Harry Potter films. And they would have movie marathons and he enjoyed every second of it. He loved your tip. Typical tear jerkers, too. He liked watching step mom. Steel Magnolias and Little Women. He had a tender heart. Kobe somehow knew where I was at all times. Specifically when I was late to his games. He would worry about me if I wasn't in my seat at the start of the IV each game, I would ask security where I was at the first time out of the first quarter and my smartass would tell him that he wasn't going to drop 81 points within the first 10 minutes of the game.

I think anyone with kids understands that sometimes you can't make it out the door on time. And eventually he was used to my tardiness and bawled out the fact that he could play on an intense professional level and still be concerned by making sure we made it to the game safely was just another example of how family came first to him. He loved being Gian, his basketball coach. He told me he wished he would've convinced Natalia to play basketball so that they could have spent even more time together.

But he also wanted her to pursue her own passion. He watched Nathalia play in a volleyball tournament on her birthday on January 19th, and he noticed how she's a very intelligent player.

He was convinced she would've made a great point guard with her vision of the court. And he told me that he wanted beyonc and Capri to take a basketball when they get older so he could spend just as much time with them as he did with G-G. And Kobe always told beyonc and Capri that they were going to grow up and play basketball and mix they assa. Now, they won't have their daddy and sister here to teach them. And that is truly a loss.

I do not understand. But I'm so thankful Koby heard Coco say Dadda. He isn't going to be here to job beyonc and Caprice off at pre-K or kindergarten. He isn't going to be here to tell me to get a grip, the one we have to leave the kindergarten classroom. Or show up to our daughter's doctor's visits. For my own moral support. He isn't going to be able to walk our girls down the aisle or spin me around on the dance floor while singing p.y.t to me.

But I want my daughters to know and remember the amazing person. Husband and father, he was the kind of man that wanted to teach the future generations to be better and keep them from making his own mistakes. He always liked working and doing projects to improve kids lives. He taught us all valuable lessons about life and sports through his NBA career, his books, his show detail and his Putin's podcast series. And we're so thankful he let those lessons and stories behind for us.

He was thoughtful and wrote the best love letters and cards, and G-G had his wonderful ability to express her feelings and to Pache paper and make you feel her love through her words. She was thoughtful, like him. It was so easy to love. Everyone naturally gravitated towards them. They were funning happy, silly. And they loved life. They were so full of joy and adventure. God knew they couldn't be on this earth without each other. He had to bring them home, tavern together.

You take care of our Geechee. I got Noni, Bebe and Coco, we're still the best team. We love and miss you, Boo-Boo and G-G. You both rest in peace and have fun and heaven until we meet again one day. We love you both and miss you forever and always. Mommy. The speaker from whom we are about to hear was very special to the Bryant family. She is their dear friend who is also a four time Olympic gold medalist, a three time WNBA champion, three-time NC double a champion.

The WNBA is all time leading scorer. And if that isn't enough to convince you that she is one of the best of all time, Kobe gave her the greatest honor of all. He nicknamed her after himself. Please welcome the white mamba. Diana Taurasi. My name is Diana Taurasi. Thanks, Jimmy. You stole my first joke. I am the white mamba. I would first like to offer my deepest condolences to all the families who lost a loved one.

In nineteen ninety six, I was a lanky, awkward freshman in high school, obsessively shooting night after night in my driveway. On the nights the Lakers played, I would miss a second of the game every time out. Every commercial I run to the front yard to imitate my favorite Laker, Kobe. On a few like occasions, my dad would come home from work. He was a metal sheet worker in Los Angeles. He'd come home with Laker tickets.

Watching Kobe play 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 to play with an edge that borderline crazy. Early onset mob mentality was in full effect. Years later, when I spent time with Kobe at the 2008 Olympics, I learned firsthand that it just wasn't limited to the basketball court. His competitive fire ran through his veins just like many of us today.

Every single workout and. The same way with the Kobe game winner. Three hard dribbles going right. Left foot plant pivot. Swing right leg through. Elevate. Square up. Follow through. Five in a row and I got to go home. It's that exact same shot, that one a championship in Phoenix in 2014. koby's willingness to do the hard work and make the sacrifice every single day inspired me and resonated with the city of Los Angeles. We struggled together.

We grew together. We celebrate victories together. The same passion we all recognized in Kobe. Obviously, G-G inherited her skill was undeniable at a early age. I mean, who has it turned away? Fadeaway jumper at eleven. LeBron barely got it today. But it was her curiosity about the game that was pushing her to pick up the basketball. Every single day. G-G was in the midst of the best times as a basketball players career. No responsibilities, no expectations, just basketball with your best friends.

Every weekend was a new adventure, an opportunity to learn how to work and grow together as a unit. As a young kid, there's nothing you looked forward to more than long, hot summer days in the gym with your homies. The same way Kobe inspired a generation of basketball players. G-G in turn. Kobe's interest in coaching and teaching the game. I'm sure I'm at the only one who received the text from Kobe asking what girls they were doing when they were 13.

G-G, 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. She's already had goals to play for UConn. That in itself showed her fearless mentality. She represents a time where a young girl doesn't need permission to play her skill would command respect. The last time I saw G-G, the mommas were in Phoenix for a big A tournament. Kobe Bryant brought them to the to the locker room to watch practice.

I always remember the look on jeezy's face. It was the look of excitement, a look of belonging. And look, a fierce determination. As a daughter, a sister, wife and mother, we embrace Vanessa. Natalia, Bianca and Capri. We promise to carry Georgie's legacy. Kobe G-G is done and you've got us on the list, on your list. No, I'm waiting to get him a mucho.

Just as her father was to our next speaker, our next speaker was to Jeanna mentors, no, no, gender, race. They just know they're here to help others. And what John is most impactful teachers and friends was Sabrina Yunus COO following her parents here this morning. She'll fly back to the Bay Area to face Stanford, undoubtedly with thoughts of her time here ever present in her mind. Please welcome NC Double-A All-Time Leader and points, assists and three point field goals.

Sabrina u._n.'s COO.

Growing up, I only knew one way to play the game of basketball fierce with obsessive focus. I was unapologetically competitive. I wanted to be the best. I love the work, even when it was hard, especially if it was hard. I knew I was different, that my drive was different. I grew up watching Kobe Bryant game after game, ring after ring. Living his greatness without apology. I wanted to be just like him to love every part of the competition, to be the first to show up in the last to leave, to love the grind, to be your best when you don't feel your best and make other people around you best version of themselves and to wake up and do it again the next day.

So that's what I did, wake up, grind and get better. Wake up, grind and get better. A year ago, my team organ was playing at USC. The morning of the game, our coaches told us that there was a surprise for the day. I was thinking Nike sent us some new shoes or swag or something. The game starts and shortly after, Kobe walks in with his daughter, Chiana and two of her teammates. They sat courtside when my jaw set dropped.

They watched the entire game. And that was the first time I met Kobe. Kobe G-G and her teammates came into the locker room after the game, he congratulated us on the win that day in our season up to that point, but said and I'll never forget. Don't shoot yourselves in the foot. He met. Don't settle to keep grinding. Control what you can. The national championship wasn't far, and our goal was to win it all. I remember G-G excited and smiling in the locker room.

I'd always watch a ton of film before playing basketball. She had a fade away better than mine. I asked her where she wanted to play ball in college, and she she said U-Conn.. She had the will and determination to be able to play wherever she wanted and if she wanted to go there, I wanted her there as well. She and her teammates hung out with us for a while. Star struck, then a little shy, but always observing.

Whichever school she would come to choose, it didn't matter if I represented the present other woman's game. G-G was the future and Kobe knew it. So we decided to build a future together. I worked out twice with G-G over the summer. I'd gone down to help Kobe coaches team G-G had so much of her dad's skill set. You could sell the amount of hours they spent in the gym practicing her moves. She smiled all the time, but it was game time.

She was ready to kill. Her demeanor changed almost instantly when the whistle blew. I remember one time someone grabbed her jersey and she sorta just knock them down and then stepped right over him. 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. Kobe was right. She had it. I love watching how hard she worked and how much her teammates loved her, but also her own desire to be great.

She always wanted to learn to go to every game she could. College, NBA, WNBA, Kobe was helping with that because he saw it in her just like he saw it in me. His vision for others is always bigger than what they imagined 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. We kept in touch, always texting calls, game visits, a drop, a triple double and have a text from him, a novel triple double, see with a flex emoji.

Another game, another text. Yo. Beast mode or easy money? I felt some pressure early on in the season and he wrote to me. B.U.. It's been good enough. And that will continue to be good enough. He taught me his step back. He told me that if I could bring that to my game, it'd be over for any defender trying to guard me. He told me how high my art needed to be on my shot, how to angle my foot.

Which leg to kick out. How much power to push off. Real sharpness comes without effort. He said he was giving me the blueprint he was given G-G, the same blueprint. 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. I wanted to be a part of the generation that changed basketball for G-G and her teammates were being born female don't mean being born behind where greatness wasn't divided by gender. You have too much to give to say silent. That's what he said. That's what he believes. That's what he lived through. G-G through me, through his investment in women's basketball. That was his next great act, a girl dad. Basketball in many ways was just a metaphor for.

I still text them even though he's not here. Thank you for everything. The rest is for you. Rest easy, my guy. The last one I sent him said, I miss you. May you rest in peace, my dear friend. The texts go through, but no response. It still feels like he's there on the other end, that the next time I pick up my phone, he would have hit me back. Sometimes I find myself still waiting.

It's so strange to describe him or G-G in the past tense. You don't get used to that. No one tells you that about grief. The week after the accident, I was in Colorado. I had a game, and like I do before every game, I prayed. This time I was thinking about Kobe and G.G.. His voice is still in my head. Even if his body is not on this earth. And all I wanted was a sign that in some way he still heard me, too.

I looked off into the sky and there it was, a beautiful golden sunset. The bold is yellow, Laker's yellow and further in the distance. A helicopter. There was my sign that he'll forever be with me. I heard his voice in my head the last line from one of his books. Walk until the darkness is a memory and you become the sun. On the next travelers' horizon, today may feel like darkness. He was in so many ways a sun beaming, radiating, fixed in the sky.

I ask each of you, every girl, dad, every human here with a voice, a platform and a heart to not let his sunset shine for us, for our sport, where he once did invest in us with the same passion and drive and respect and love as he did his own daughter. In the end, she was a son, just starting to rise. And God! Did she glow? There light. Forever shine. Kobe and G-G.

I'll love you forever. Thank you. Among the many dreams that the lovely jhana would have realized in her life was that of playing for one of the greatest women's collegiate basketball teams in history. The Huskies of UConn. What are the highlights of her and her father's lives? Was a visit they made to the campus in March 2019. Here today, to speak on his friendship with both of them is the eleven time NC double a championship coach of the Huskies, Geno Auriemma.

Some amazing women in this room want their. And you just heard from three of them. You know where I am and I'm the coach of the youcome women's basketball program. And a lot of people are going to talk about basketball today. And I don't know that that's why I'm here. I'm not here for the basketball court. I tried to write a long flowing speech about basketball and I can't do it. There's too many thoughts in my head. Ever since Vanessa asked me to speak.

Too many things that. Maybe you realize more. That I'm here as a father. Not as a basketball coach. And ascertains. As these just showed, you were very were very, very emotional people. Right, Mike? He's half a time. So the thoughts that I started to have. After I was asked to speak. We're obviously about all the people that were on board. And if you're a father, a grandfather. You feel a different.

A different kind of emotion when there is children about. Because this is always about the children. We've lived their lives. We have a little bit left. They're just starting their lives. And then my next door came to. The original team that Kobe was responsible for, Italia. Bianka. Capri Vanesa. Because we're always teammates, you know, we're always on a team. Sometimes it's a big team. Sometimes it's a small team. And that's the most important team.

And Kobe and I shared some history. He started in Italy, went to Philadelphia and then went to the limelight and the lights and glamour of L.A. Born in Philadelphia, went to Philly and went to the cows up in stores. It was a joke because there's no lights and there's no glitz and glamour in stores Connecticut. And how ironic that he would talk to me about coaching. The uncoachable one wants to talk about coaching. Probably the most uncoachable player in the NBA during his career wants to know about coaching.

And I wanted to know why he said I'm coaching my daughter's team. I said, oh, my God. That poor kid. So when I watched highlights of her playing. And on about the third or fourth time she touched the ball, Gianna passed it when she was open. I thought she's now listening to her father. So he would call and say, what kind of defensive drills should I do? We have practiced tonight we're going to work on defense where he thinks the most important thing in teaching man to man.

Further proof, he never listened to one word any of his coaches told them, so I tried to explain them. I say Kobe. They're 13 years old. I think you ought to just say, hey, you know, see that kid with the ball? Try not to let her go by you and see if you're guarding the other guy's hate. See that kid with the ball over there? Don't let her throw the ball to your guy. Keep it kind of simple, you know?

You said no, I want to know, like, what are the rotations when they drive? I said, come on, come on, come on. So these are the conversations that we had both as basketball people and as dads who have ever coached their kids. If you've ever been in that situation, like a lot of people here in this room, probably have been. And I remember when G-G came, as you saw in a video, she came to a very for the very first game that she came to.

And she came into the locker room. And here she is. And the look on her face, the smile, the way her eyes just took everything in. How excited she was to be around in her mind. Royalty. So ironic, her father's royalty. And she's excited to be around royalty. That looks just like what she wants to be. And the most impressive thing about that point in time was how Kobe stepped as far back as he could.

So anyone taking pictures? Anyone there would not know that this was Kobe Bryant's daughter. This was her moment. This is where hurt her time to shine. This was her time to experience all the things that he's experienced his whole life. He was being dad. He wasn't being Kobe Bryant and he was allowing G.G. to be G-G, not Kobe Bryant's daughter in today's day and age. That's a hell of a thing for parents to be able to do.

May leave you with just two things. We got a letter. Oh, I got to tell you about. You can see it. But she did meet the Oregon Ducks women's basketball team and they all gathered around and said, you want to take a picture? And everybody ran over. And Georgia goes, now, I'm good. She knew where her heart was. And you know that little sarcasm good. And when they came to when they came to Yukon and they sat behind the bench and there's dad bringing his daughter to a game and they have their shirts on and she's got this coat on and she has her hat on and she's just a little kid at a game.

And again, I felt more like a dad than I've felt as a basketball coach because I've done that with my kids. And lastly. Number 24. Number eight. And number two. Those are basketball numbers. Those are numbers in the past. Those are numbers that we're not going to get back. What we do have. Is today how many numbers of kids? Like Diane, I have been inspired to do more, to work harder, to strive for more.

The numbers we also don't have, it's how many numbers of kids in the future? How many women? Are gonna be inspired by Georgie's life. How many fathers are inspired by Kobe to be fathers? To really be fathers. The way a father supposed to be. In this room. There is an incredible amount of talent. In this room is maybe the greatest collection of talent. That I've ever been around. But in this room, there's a family.

And they're still a team back home. And they still have a great coach. And I'm gonna be rooting for that team. From here on in. Thank you very much. Thank you, coach. Now I want to play for a UConn women's basketball team. Our next speaker is the general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers. For that, he was Kobe's agent and most notably for our purposes today. He is one of Kobe's closest and best friends and godfather to G-G.

Please welcome Rob Plinko.

The world knows Kobe is a basketball legend, but I've been blessed for 20 years to know him is so much more. Kobe, I know, had three unique sides that I hope to quickly honor today. Kobie, the best friend. Kobe, the dad and Kobe, the husband. I will start with Kobe, the best friend. Do you remember where you were on that foggy, sunless morning of January 26 when the access of the world? Seemed to shift forever for all of us.

I was in Sunday church with my family, my phone was deep in the pocket of my jeans when I felt the familiar text buzz. For a second, I ignored the notification because I was in church. But for some reason, with this text, I felt a sudden urge to check my phone. I slipped it out of my jeans and discovered the text was from Kobe. There was nothing uncharacteristic or unfamiliar about this for the last two decades. Kobe and I talked or texted every single day because that's what best friends do.

In that moment, my instincts were to put the phone down and get back to the preacher's sermon, but a gentle other worldly net nudge compelled me to open the text. So I did. I quickly saw that Kobe was asking me if I happen to know a certain baseball agent based in Southern California. Since koby's question didn't have any urgency to do it, I decided I'd wait until after church to respond. But then again, there was a gentle nudge.

I grabbed my phone and text Kobie back that I had seen the baseball agent at a Lakers game just the other night and was happy to help him with whatever he wanted. It was now just past 9:30. Kobe text back, explaining his desire to help a friend of his secure a baseball agency internship for one of his young daughters. Kobe vouched for the girl's character, intellect and work ethic. He clearly wanted to champion a bright future for her. I text Kobe right back.

And said I would put a plan in motion to help him get that done. A handful of minutes later. Kobie Anjana and seven other beautiful souls ascended into heaven. Kobe had been texting me from the helicopter. The girl in that text chain was that he was wanted to help so badly was LEXI Alta Belly. The surviving daughter of coach John L. to Beli, who was also on the helicopters. Kobe's last human act was heroic. He wanted to use his platform to bless and shape a young girl's future.

Hasn't Kobe done that for all of us? Kobe was literally the best friend anyone could ask for. He always championed and passionately celebrated the accomplishments of others and downplayed his own. The man who had won multiple NBA titles, MVP and an Oscar, would buzz with excitement when someone he loved would reach even a simple goal. With any achievement, Kobe was always the first to call. This was one of his greatest gifts as a friend and something I will forever miss.

There's one story that shows this beautiful side to Kobe. As Vanessa shared in the years following his retirement, Kobe was often one of the first carpools to pick up his daughters from school. With Kobe in pole position, my kids who attended the same school also got to see him often. Every time they would see him, he would greet them with an an enthusiasm if they had just one student of the year. The other day, my 9 year old daughter Emery had big tears in her eyes because she was so badly missing Uncle Coby and G-G.

When I asked her why, she said, Daddy, whenever Koby would see me, he would run to me and scoop me up and his giant arms and raise me high above his head. Kobe always made me feel like I was queen of the world. Kobe had a depth of care for people that is unparalleled. He made every moment magical, as if it was living a fantasy novel. This was the case when my family in the Bryants won in a campaign or I should say, glamping trip to Montana.

We canoed and rode horses, went fly fishing and river rafting and rode on a stagecoach to a campfire dinner under the stars at each turn. Kobe made everything an adventure, especially for the kids. And of course, with all the wilderness activities we did, they had to be done to the Nth Degree. If it was fly fishing, we had to learn to tie our own flies and fish standing in the stream with heavy weight or boots on. No shortcuts.

koby's enthusiasm and joy for all things life made that trip one for a lifetime. Another remarkable friendship quality of koby's is that he mastered the art of making the things his friends loved. Things that he loved. When I got the Lakers GM job, Kobe would often say that my life and his life had flip flopped. Instead of him, I was now the one with the regimented Laker's schedule of practices, games and road trips. I was now the one daily commuting up the 4 or 5 from the O.C.

to L.A. on the flip side. Kobe was home chillin in Newport Beach, doing all his Kobe Inc work from his favorite spot in the world. Having lived the demands of the NBA for 20 years, Kobe understood the toll it would take on my family time. So he and Vanessa would regularly check in with my wife and kids to make sure everything was good and even celebrate how holidays like Halloween with them. That's what friends do. Kobe lived to make other people's lives better all the way up until his final text, the day after Kobe was gone.

I was at home and feeling totally lost.

I couldn't imagine life without the strength and guidance of my best friend. As part of my grieving, I felt an overwhelming need to connect with something tangible that represented our friendship, a picture of voicemail, something that Koby left behind, my wife reminded me of the wizard book. Kobe authored and had recently given to me. I went upstairs and found a book in my library and opened it. And on the inside cover he had penned in his with his own pen these words.

To Arpey, my brother. May you always remember to enjoy the road, especially when it's a hard one. Love Kobe. Kobie wrote these words to me just a few months ago. Now I realize that perhaps they were meant for us all. Kobe, my brother, this road is so, so hard and I don't know how to journey on without you. But I know you want us to keep going and our memories with you will give us strength to somehow move forward.

And as you wrote, even in the valley of unimaginable loss, we will somehow find a way to have joy. Onto to next side, Kobe, the dad. When Kobe retired from playing basketball, people would often ask me what how I thought he would fuel his competitive drive. The answers came in a couple surprising ways. The first was in a new sport, tennis, right after Kobe stopped playing for the Lakers. We took up playing tennis at a local private club in Newport Beach.

We began having an epic one on one battles. I picked the game up faster than him so early on he would often fall behind and that did not sit well with Kobe at all. So what is the black do? The next few times I arrived at the club. There he was waiting for me. Already with a full sweat, as his tennis skills exploded, I learned that he had secretly reached out to the club's pro for private lessons and then share any of it with me.

Typical mob mentality. We loved our matches and stories and memories we would share on those beautiful California days. It was during one of those tennis conversations that the other newfound competitive love of his became so clear. Coaching Guyana's youth basketball team. Kobe talk constantly about his dream to create the best youth girls basketball team on the planet. And he did. It started with his individual work with G-G and quickly spread to all the girls on team ombre long practices every night.

Precision and everything, the individual drills, the set plays, the triangle cuts, the defensive schemes. It was all Kobe's masterpiece. I will never forget when Kobe challenged my twelve year old son's all star team to a game against his mom's team. Yes, girls versus boys. Kobe hosted the game at a local high school gym with reffed timekeepers and all he coach from the bench but rarely said anything. Instead, the mommas were so well-prepared they functioned like a Swiss watch.

Everything seemed scripted. inversed Our boys got smashed. Cobia G-G took it all in stride. That's what the mommas do. koby's love for coaching grew and grew and grew. I remember when Kobe turned 40 to celebrate. Our family's flew to Cabo to spend a long weekend at one of the most beautiful ocean estates in the world. What was the one thing Kobe wanted to do in this heavenly setting watch team mammoth game film A G-G and me, of course, breaking down every play.

Kobe's love and passion for this team was the perfect representation of how deeply he loved his daughters. At the center of all this was his precious G-G, whom my wife and I are blessed to be the godparents of. From the moment Kristen and I dressed G-G in our pure white lace baptismal dress as an infant, she kicked and wiggled her way into our world like only a tourist can. Jiji was an incredible combination of strength, courage, grace and dignity with a witty sense of humor that was simply captivating.

She smiled with her glittering eyes and was literally everything in the world that is good in our home. Gianna and her sister Natalia have become the gold standard for character and kindness. G-G was love and grace, and like her dad, her life was about blessing, blessing others. Simply put, G-G was koby's pride and joy on the basketball court, and you could see it with every move she made. If basketball was a love Kobe shared with G-G, with Nonnie, Kobe shared a love for storytelling.

The two of them seemed to live out scenes of the most beautiful movie ever made. Cobia Naani had a common language built upon joy and inspiration. They could remember and recite movie lines and sing Disney songs, always fill in a room with smiles and laughter. Cobia non-IT Nonnie created their own soundtrack for life, it seemed. And in it you could often find them dancing their days away together. Around young children, Kobe was like Santa Claus dressed in everyday clothes.

Kobe had an unmatched energy to ignite kids and make them smile and laugh and love. In my years as his agent, I was told he was one of the most granted Make-A-Wish celebrities of our generation. When Kobe met a Make-A-Wish kid, it was as if heaven came down to the real world. This exuberant sense of play captured the way Kobe would love and father, his daughter, Bebe. Like Kobe Bebe as a child of wonderment, every moment of b.b.'s seems born out of joy and excitement and R and Kobe had an ability to enter into that world with her.

Kobie also had an energy level that would match b.b.'s when the two of them would play. I imagined a world coming alive with toy animals with dance, teacups would sing and rainbows would shine. I had never seen anything like the two of them playing together. If you think Kobe's hands were go with the basketball, you should see how his hands were with his daughter Coco. He literally had the golden touch. Watching him cuddle and put Coco to sleep and caressa her made you realize just how tender Kobe was.

He is literally the baby whisperer, and in his arms is where you would find Coco always content with peace. Kobe would never miss a detail of his daughters lives when he traveled with me for work. He would spend hours on the phone connecting and listening to the stories of their days. He just loved his girls and there was nothing in the world that meant more to him. I remember being in the tunnel with Kobe right over there. The last time he wears purple and gold, Kobe fist bumped each of his daughters before he ran out the tunnel.

And then momma speak said something like, here's what you do when the world tells you you can't do it anymore. Kobe 60 points and win that night only is only outshined by his love for his family. As the world's greatest girl, dad. Kobe's final side. The husband. When God made Kobe, the next great act of his was to fashion Vanessa. I know this because they are matched perfectly together. And I've had a front row seat to being witness to their love for 20 years.

I remember all the way back to their wedding day in 2001. In typical Kobe fashion, he wanted to master every detail of that day to reflect his love for Vanessa. One of the things he was most excited about was caring Vanessa in his arms over the threshold of their home. As a husband and wife for the first time. Vanessa brought out Kobe's romantic side. Like nobody else in the world, could he love to celebrate holidays with her, her birthday, anniversary and especially Valentine's Day.

Often he would call me to brainstorm his incredible ideas for special gifts and romantic occasions with her. He even loved to write poems and letters to her and make them into beautiful keepsake books. Simply put, Kobe's love for Vanessa was the energy for his life. One particular story captures the depth of Kobe's love for Vanessa. There was a stretch of days when work travel was causing Kobe to be away from Vanessa for longer than he wanted. He called me to explain how hard this stretch was for him.

One night on the phone, Kobe noticed there was a grand piano in the hotel suite. He was staying and he set it back. SAT by a tall window under the moonlit sky. During one of our calls, he shared an idea with me. He said he hadn't been sleeping much at night because he was with Mrs. V and the girl so much. While he was away, he wanted to live in his love for Vanessa. So at night, under the moonlit sky, he vowed to teach himself by ear to play the first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

When he told me this, I thought, there's no way. I knew he wasn't a trained musician and that was a really difficult piece of music to play. But Kobe's passion and love for Vanessa, combined with the patience and focus that only the black mamba has made this seemingly impossible goal a reality.

That next morning, Kobe called and played me the first few measures. The next morning, more by the end of the week, he had the entire piece mastered and he played it for me over the phone without a mistake in my heart. I knew that moment was one of Kobe's grandest feats for his deepest love. Kobe had mastered one of the greatest piano movements ever written as a symbol of one of the most beautiful loves the world has ever seen. To close, I will say this.

Just as the sun lights the moon to guide us through the night, Kobie and G-G will continue to shine light and all of us. But unlike the sun, Kobe and ggc fuel will never, ever burn out because their light is eternal. Yes, the access of our world shifted that frightful morning a few weeks back, but with Kobe and GEORGIS Moonlight, we will never have to live in the darkness of night again. We will all journey on until one day we will be in heaven together again, and this time it will be forever.

I love you, dear Kobe and precious G-G, we love you, Vanessa, Noni, Bebe, Coco, and we are here for you with great care until the end of our days. Ladies and gentlemen, in a moment here to play tribute with her own version of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Miss Alicia Keys. Let's come up to. So since that use this note, this is not. Now. It was Grammy Sunday when we all learned about the tragic loss of Koby, Johana and their group here at Staples, we were all preparing for the Grammy Awards and so is our host, Alicia Keys.

As the sad news settled in, it became clear that as the world began to mourn them here at the house that Kobe built, we had to do more than that. And thanks to the inner strength of Alicia Keys, she became a messenger of comfort to the people gathered here on that evening as well as to the rest of the world. She's here tonight to perform one of Kobe and Vanessa's favorite musical numbers, The Immortal Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. Please welcome Alicia Keys.

Will always be that kid. Yeah, me too, you know, going to show no joke. The way we see Syntheo move to the NHL from Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania, this kid right here. Mark my words. It's gonna be unbelievable.

Or o'clock in the morning. Not going to take it 500 shots. back-to-back titles for the Los Angeles Lakers Three Peat SWEEP, Your Fourth NBA champions. Chaffinch was the first time I knew of the greatness you would think about. What should I do to motivate this guy? This guy. This guy. He didn't just show up the things he was deeply involved in, coaching young kids is the most important thing we can do. I have to believe that Kobe right now is looking down from heaven and going.

I am determined to learn to play Moonlight Sonata better than Alicia Keys. For Chick Hearn, a sit in there, listen to it all. In 1996, our next speaker faced an 18 year old Kobe Bryant on the court for the first time. Midway through the game while playing, Kobe asked him for tips on his jump shot. Kobe scored thirty three points. That game against his boyhood idol. Michael scored thirty six and won the game, too.

Please welcome Michael Jordan.

I would say good morning, but it's afternoon. I'm grateful to Vanessa and Bryan family for the opportunity to speak today. I'm grateful to be here to honor G-G and celebrate the gift. Kobe gave us all. Well, here come. That's the basketball player. As a businessman and a storyteller. And as a father. In the game of basketball in life. As a parent. Kobe left nothing in the tank. He left it all on the floor.

Maybe it surprise people that Kobe and our were very close friends. But we were very close friends. koby's with my dear friend, he was like a little brother. Everyone always wanted to talk about the comparisons between he and I. I just want to talk about Kobe. You know, all of us have brothers, sisters, little brothers, little sisters who for whatever reason. Always in the getting your stuff. Your closet, your shoes. Everything was a nuisance.

If I can say that word. But that news just turned into love. Over a period of time. Just because the admiration that they have for you as big brothers, big sisters. The question is. Wanting to know every little detail about life that they were about to embark on. He used to call me, text me eleven thirty two, thirty three o'clock in the morning. Talking about post-up mouz foot work and sometimes. The triangle. At first, it was an aggravation.

But then it turned into a certain passion. This kid had passion like you would never know. It's it's amazing thing about passion, if you love something, you've you have a strong passion for something. You would go to the extreme drought to try to understand or tried to get it. Either ice cream. Cokes. Hamburgers. Whatever you have a love for. You've got the walk. You will go get it. You've got the big swing. You go get it.

Well, Kobe Bryant was to me, was the inspiration that someone truly cared about the way I play the game or the way that he wanted to play the game. He wanted to be the best basketball player that he could be. And as I got to know him. I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be. To do their. You had to put up with the aggravation, the late night calls or the dumb questions. I took great pride as I got to know Kobe Bryant.

That he was just trying to be a better person, a better basketball player. We talked about business. We talked about frenemy. We talked about everything. And he was just trying to be a better person. Now he's got me. I'll have to look at another crime meme for the mix. I told my wife I was going to do this because I didn't want to see that for the next three or four years. That is what Kobe Bryant does to me.

I'm pretty sure Vanessa and its friends all can say the same thing. He knows how to get to you in a way that affects you personally, even though he's being a pain in the ass. But he always. You ever have a sense of love for him and the way that he can bring out the best in you? He did that for me. Membered maybe a couple of months ago he sends me a text. And he said. I'm trying to teach my daughter.

Smooth. And I don't know what I was thinking or what I was working on. But what would you what were you thinking about? Well, you would try to, as you were growing up, trying to work on your moves. I what age? He says twelve. I said 12. I was trying to play baseball. Since being text back J. Laughing my ass off. And this is at 2:00 in the morning. But the thing about him was we could talk about anything that.

Related to basketball. But we can talk about anything that related to life. And we, as we grew up in life, really have friends that we can have conversations like that. Well, it's even rare when you can grow up. Against adversaries and have conversations like that. I went and saw Phil Jackson in nineteen ninety nine, maybe two thousand. I don't know, wink. Phil was here in L.A.. And I'll walk in and Kobe sitting there.

And the first thing I'm innertube, first thing Kobe said, did you bring your shoes? No, I wasn't thinking about playing. But his attitude to compete and play against someone, he felt like he can enhance and improve his game. To me, that's what I loved about the kid. Absolutely loved about the kid. The matter where he saw me, it was a challenge. And I admired him because his passion you rarely see. Someone who's looking and trying to improve each and every day, not just in sports, but as a parent, as a husband.

I am inspired by what he's done and what he shared with Vanessa and what he's shared with his kids. I have a daughter who's 30 who just became a grandparent and I have two twins. I have twins at 6. I can't wait to get home, to become a girl dad and to hug them and to see the love that day and the smiles that they bring to us as parents. He taught me that just by looking at this tonight, looking at how he responded and reacted with the people they actually love.

These are the things that we will continue to learn from Kobe Bryant. To Vanessa, the tire. Bianca Capri, my wife and I will we'll keep you close in our hearts and our prayers will always be here for you. Always. I also want to offer our condolences and support to all the families affected by this enormous tragedy. Kobe gave every last ounce of himself. To whatever he was doing. After basketball, he showed a creative side to himself that I didn't think.

Any of us knew he had. In retirement, he seemed so happy. He found new passions and he continued to give back as a coach. In his community. More importantly, he was amazing, that amazing husband who dedicated himself to his family. And who loved his daughters with all his heart. Kobu never left anything on the court. And I think that's what he would want for us to do. No one knows how much time we have.

That's why we must live in the moment. We must enjoy the moment. We must reach and see and spin as much time as we can with our families and friends and the people that we absolutely love. To live in the moment means to enjoy each and every one that we come in contact with. When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died. And as I look in this arena and across the globe, a piece of you die. Well, she wouldn't be here.

Those are the memories that we have to live with. And we learn from. I promise you from this day forward, I will live with the memories and knowing. A little brother that I tried to help in every way I could. Please rest in peace. Little by. There have been many great. In the history of the NBA, but none better or more fun to follow than Kobe, and they want those in a row to cover. And their names will be linked for all time.

Please welcome Dale O'Neil. The people of our Kobe Bryant. And a loving son and brother, Koby was a loyal friend and a true renaissance man. As many of you know, Kobe and I had a very complex relationship to our years, but not unlike another leadership duo, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, whose creative rivalry led to some of the greatest music of all time. Kobe and I push one another to play some of the greatest basketball of all time.

And I am proud of no other team has accomplished what the three peat Lakers have done since Shaggy and the Kobe Lakers did it. And yes, sometimes like immature kids, we argued, we faults, we bannered or insulted each other with offhand remarks. Our feud. But make no mistake, it the folks start. We were on bad terms. When the cameras are turned off and I withdraw, I won't go to jail and say, let's go.

Looks a mess. You never took it seriously. In truth, Koven, I always maintain a deep respect and love for one another. Today, again, the day Kobe gave my respect was the guys were complaining. So Shakopee is not passing the ball. I said I'll talk to. I say Kobe, there's no I.A.B. And Kobe said, I know, but there's a in me and that motherfucker. So we're back until Rick and big show above just get the rebound.

He's my person. Momma, you were taken away from us way too soon. Your next chapter of life was just beginning. But now it's time for us to continue your legacy. You said yourself that everything negative pressure challenges is all opportunity for me to rise. So we now take that sage advice and now rise from anguish and begin with the healing. Just know that we've got your back, little brother. I'll look after things down here. I'll be sure to teach Natalia you'll be OK.

And baby Gabriel, all your moves. And I promise I will not teach them my freeto techniques. Well, for now, I'll take comfort in the fact as we speak, cobia GIGO holding hands, walking to the nearest basketball court. Kobe will show his new mom moves a day in G-G soon. Message. Kobe for heaven's MVP. I love you, my man. Till we meet again. Recipe's. Thank you so much for tonight. But, you know, it's not it's not about my jerseys that are hanging up there for me.

You know, it's about the jerseys that were hanging up there before.

You know, without them, I couldn't be here today. They inspired me to play the game at a high level. And it's also about the next generation embodying the spirit that exists in those jerseys up there and carrying this organization forward so that the next 20 years are better than the past 20 years. And that's what it's about.

And it's also about the fans. Fans. It's about family. It's about my wife, Vanessa. You know, you guys all know this, but the last game, my last game that we had here against the Utah Jazz, I was really tired and I got home and I was like, you know what? I don't know if I can do this thing. I got one more game left. I don't have any legs. She said, I want to show you something.

I got a gift for you for your last game. And she proceeded to show me a row of retired jerseys from Baylor, from Magic, from Shaq, from Cap, all with personal messages. Science, I mean, including from Michael Jordan, including from the great Bill Russell, including from the great Larry Bird. And when I saw that, I knew then that I had to turn it up.

Had to turn it off. So thank you, baby, for being an inspiration to me. And lastly, our daughters, Natalia Jan 9, Bianca. You know, I hope that tonight is not you know, you guys know that, you know, if you do the work, you work hard enough.

Dreams come true. Thank you guys so much. I love you. Gentlemen, please welcome. Six time Emmy Award winner Christina Aguilera.

AG galera. Thank you, Christina. That was beautiful. And in Italian as well. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Kobe, as you know. Had big plans after basketball, he had many interests. One of them was film. One of them was the Mama Mama Seta Foundation. He published books, but he wanted to make movie and he movie.

And of course, because he is Kobe Bryant, the first movie he made won an Oscar. And this is koby's Academy Award winning film called Dear Basketball. Dear basketball. From the moment I start a role in my dad's tube socks. Issue an imaginary game when his shots in a great Western forum. I knew one thing was real. I fell in love with you. A love so deep. I gave you my all. My spirit and soul. As a 6 year old boy and deeply in love with you.

I never saw the end of the tunnel. Because it came with so much. He gave a C show, Boys later and I'll holy slut. Online can handle the crime. My body knows Thomas saying A. OK, I'm ready to let you go. I want you to know now. So we both can savor every moment we have left together. Always be that kid with the rolled up sucks garbage can. 5, 4, 3, 2.

Well, there you have it. Thank you, Vanessa. We love you. We love her kids. We'll pray for you and for the Chester Alda belly, so by animals mouser families, please support the Mamba on three fund. Please support the mama mama seed, a sports foundation. It's what Coheed G-G would have wanted. Thank you for coming. And don't forget, work hard and hope the people you love. Good afternoon, everyone. Only.

Neither does. Never. That's why. And for you, that's how I.