LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers returned to Staples Center on Friday night for the team’s first game since NBA star Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people, producing an emotional pre-game tribute to the basketball great.
The lights darkened in the arena save for a purple spotlight on two Lakers jerseys bearing Bryant’s numbers of 8 and 24 hanging above. The crowd chanted “MVP! MVP! MVP!”
Usher sang “Amazing Grace,” standing in front of floral arrangements in the shape of Kobe’s numbers. An extended hush fell over the crowd afterward. Los Angeles Philharmonic cellist Ben Hong performed as video and audio of Bryant playing and speaking in interviews aired. People outside the arena were seen sobbing.
The team held a 24.2-second moment of silence, and the team reserved two courtside seats with bouquets of roses, donning the chairs with Kobe’s No. 24 jersey and Gianna’s Mamba Academy No. 2 jersey. Fans chanted “Kobe, Kobe!” and “Gigi! Gigi!” which was Gianna’s nickname.
Audio of Bryant was played of him expressing his appreciation to fans, saying, “thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. God, I love you guys.”
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The names of all the victims were shown with white text on a black screen.
“Lost in this unthinkable tragedy were husbands, wives, parents and children, teammates and coaches. As the entire world mourns, we want to remember and honor those nine individuals,” an announcement was read over the speakers.
As Boyz II Men sang the national anthem, the Lakers’ LeBron James wept. He later took the court and read the names of all nine victims, ending with Bryant’s name.
He had some prepared remarks written down, but said “Laker Nation, man, I would be selling you all short if I read off of this sh–, so I’m going to go straight from the heart,” to cheers.
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“The first thing that come to mind, man, is all about family. And as I look around this arena, we’re all grieving, we’re all hurt, we’re all heartbroken,” James said. “But when we’re going through things like the best thing you can do is lean on the shoulders of your family.”
James said that “Laker Nation” showed what a family it is all week, from the players, staff, the entire team organization to the fans. “Everybody that’s here — this is really, truly, truly a family,” James said. “And I know Kobe and Gianna and Vanessa and everybody thank you guys from the bottom of their heart, as Kobe said.”
Hours before the game started, the Lakers tweeted a statement and several photos honoring Bryant: “We’ve been through our ups and been through our downs. I think the most important part is that we all stayed together throughout.”
Memorials that included flowers, notes, balloons and candles surrounded Staples Center as thousands of fans gathered outside.
Jessica Samuelson, from North Hollywood, customized a pair of Converse high tops that were purple with yellow laces. Her two sons were obsessed with the basketball star. A Lakers season ticket holder for almost 25 years, Samuelson and her husband expected Friday’s game to be unlike any other.
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“I think it’s going to be good to start the healing process,” she said. “I have a three-pack of tissue in my bag. I know they’ll probably all be used.”
The tweet by the team showed photos of what appeared to be a sea of yellow and purple T-shirts draped over every seat inside the arena. Each bore either an 8 or a 24 in memory of the beloved basketball player who spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers.
In a separate tweet, the Lakers showed a picture of their court logo, which was changed from the team name to a giant KB with a star in the center. The Lakers will keep the logo on the court and on the players’ jerseys for the remainder of the season, according to NBC Sports.
Bryant, 41, died Sunday morning in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles that killed all nine people on board who were traveling to a youth basketball tournament at Bryant’s Mamba gym in Thousand Oaks, California. Fans across the globe mourned his death and set up makeshift memorials from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, where Bryant was born.
Vanessa Bryant, his wife of 21 years, broke her silence three days after losing her husband and child, who was also called Gigi. The couple has three surviving daughters.
“There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now,” Vanessa Bryant wrote on Instagram. “I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved.”
On Tuesday, former teammate Shaquille O’Neal broke down during a television special honoring his late friend.
“I haven’t felt the pain that sharp in a while,” he said.
Among the other victims were pilot Ara Zobayan, assistant basketball coach Christina Mauser and two other families.
Reza Safa, a painter from Orange County, said he used to see Bryant at their local Starbucks in Newport Beach. Safa said he once painted Bryant’s likeness and tried to give it to him, but Bryant was busy.
“He thanked me and walked away,” Safa said.
When Safa heard about the helicopter crash, he knew he had to paint a series of the basketball star and his family, he said. One of those paintings was on display Friday outside the Staples Center. It showed Gigi sitting on Bryant’s shoulder, both of them grinning. It’s called “Carry Me Dad.”
“I want to donate this to the family,” he said. “He was the type that works hard and overcome — the type that is not arrogant.”
“I liked that spirit about him — his gentleness, his quietness, a family man, altogether a hero type,” Safa said. “He’s in our hearts.”
The other people who died in the crash were Ara Zobayan, 49, the pilot; Christina Mauser, 38, an assistant basketball coach at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy; John Altobelli, 56, the head baseball coach at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California; his wife, Keri Altobelli, 46; their daughter Alyssa Altobelli, 13; Payton Chester, 13, who played on the academy’s basketball teams; and her mother, Sarah Chester, 45.
