Tributes Planned for an Emotional Night in the House That Kobe Built
The Lakers take on Portland Friday night in their first game since a helicopter crash killed nine, including the Lakers legend and his 13-year-old daughter
By Jonathan Lloyd ••
NBCUniversal, Inc.
Video from NewsChopper4 shows the rows of flowers and other items left outside Staples Center in memory of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash victims. Video taken Friday Jan. 31, 2020
When he scored 60 points in his final game as a Laker in 2016 and capped his post-game speech with an emphatic "Mamba out" and mic drop, Kobe Bryant provided fans with a dramatic end befitting 20 years of blissful Staples Center memories -- something many fans have held onto through a week of grief.
On Friday night, Staples Center will again be the stage when the Lakers play their first game in the House That Kobe Built since his death Sunday in a helicopter tragedy that killed nine people and jolted Southern California. When they arrive for the game, fans will pass long rows of flowers, candles, signs, jerseys and other items left outside the arena and LA Live -- reminders of what Bryant meant to Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Lakers honor Kobe Bryant by laying out t-shirts for fans before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on January 31, 2020 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Lakers have tributes planned for the game, but no details have been made public.
Tickets were selling Tuesday on StubHub for about $700 to $1,000 for the cheapest seats. Those closer to the action were offered at prices ranging from $3,500 to $9,000.
I say somebody could offer me $10,000. I say I wouldn’t sell the tickets to them. I want to be inside with that emotion, shedding a tear for Kobe Bryant.
Nathaniel Magruder, fan
But for some fans, you can't put a price on the tickets.
"I say somebody could offer me $10,000. I say I wouldn’t sell the tickets to them," said Nathaniel Magruder, who lives in Washington DC but planned the trip to LA months ago. "I want to be inside with that emotion, shedding a tear for Kobe Bryant. That’s where I want to be. That’s where I’m going to be tonight."
StubHub promised to donate all of its fees to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation.
NBCLA
From top-left, clockwise: Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli and pilot Ara Zobayan, died on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, after the helicopter they traveled in crashed in Los Angeles.
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers leaves the court after the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 14, 2014 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bryant passed Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list with a free throw during the second quarter.
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ORLANDO, FL – JUNE 14: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers smiles with his wife Vanessa and his daughters Natalia and Gianna after the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-86 in Game Five of the 2009 NBA Finals on June 14, 2009 at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. Kobe and Gianna tragically died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, Jan. 26, 2020. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 17: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks during the post game news conference with daughters Natalia and Gianna Bryant as he celebrates after the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics 83-79 in Game Seven of the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 17, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 29: Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on December 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 17: Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center on November 17, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
OCC
This undated photo released by Orange Coast College shows its head baseball coach John Altobelli. The Altobelli family has confirmed that John Altobelli, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa were among those killed in the helicopter crash with NBA icon Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna in Calabasas, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. Alyssa played on the same team as Gianna, said Altobelli’s brother Tony, who is the sports information director at the school. (Orange Coast College via AP)
John Altobelli, Wife Keri and Daughter Alyssa Just as Bryant was passionate about basketball, John Altobelli had a deep love for the game of baseball. He coached at Orange Coast College. He was with the program for 27 years, leading the Pirates to four state titles en route to more than 700 career wins. Last year, he was the American Baseball Coaches Association as an ABCA/Diamond National Coach of the Year. Wife Keri and daughter Alyssa also were killed in Sunday's crash.
Family Photo
Payton played basketball with Bryant's daughter Gianna. Family members said she loved playing the game and described Sarah as the heart of their family.
Courtesy of Margaret Bray
Ara Zobayan, described as an experienced instructor and charter pilot who had flown celebrities like Kylie Jenner and her niece Dream and Lorenzo Lamas, was at the helm of the helicopter as it traveled to Newbury Park where the girls aboard were to have a basketball tournament at the Mamba Sports Academy. He and all aboard, including Kobe Bryant and his daughter, perished in the crash Jan. 26, 2020.
Christina Mauser was a girls basketball coach at a nearby private elementary school. She is survived by her husband, who founded a popular Orange County band, and three young children. Her husband said she worked with Bryant at a clinic at Mamba Sports Academy.
The Lakers have been steadily progressing toward the game against Portland, with some expressing their sorrow on social media. The team learned about Bryant's death while they were flying home from an East Coast road trip. Several players appeared to be visibly affected by the news when they got off the plane.
The NBA postponed the Lakers-Clippers game scheduled for Tuesday, when the team did light work on the court before gathering for lunch and sharing stories about Bryant, according to the Los Angeles Times.
From this point on, it is always going to be tough, especially being here in LA.
Paul George, LA Clippers
On Wednesday, they started with drills and conducted a light outdoor football scrimage.
In a statement, the team said it is devastated by the tragedy.
"Words cannot express what Kobe means to the Los Angeles Lakers, our fans, and our city. More than a basketball player, he was a beloved father, husband, and teammate. Their love and light will remain in our hearts forever."
The family has requested that all non-perishable items left at the memorial outside Staples Center be saved, Michael Roth, vice president of communications at AEG Worldwide told NBC4 Friday. That includes jerseys, shoes, notes and artwork. Flowers will be mulched.
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Kobe Bryant poses for a portrait after being selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft on June 26, 1996 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York.
AP
Los Angeles Lakers general manager Jerry West boldly trades his starting center, Vlade Divac, to the Charlotte Hornets for Bryant, a 17-year-old prodigy from the Philadelphia suburbs by way of Italy. Nearly two decades later, Bryant has become the top scorer in the history of the 16-time NBA champion franchise, which happened to be his favorite team growing up.
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant #8 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes up for one of his slam dunks that won first place in the NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest at Gund Arena on February 8, 1997 in Cleveland, Ohio.
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Bryant has 26 points and 10 rebounds against the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, teaming with Shaquille O'Neal and coach Phil Jackson to lead the Lakers to their first championship together. They won it all in each of the next two seasons as well, establishing the first dynasty of the 21st Century.
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Shaquille O’Neal #34 and Kobe Bryant #8 of the Los Angeles Lakers pose for a photo after the Lakers’ 2001 NBA Championship parade held June 18, 2001 in Los Angeles, California.
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Bryant scores 30 points in the Lakers' 112-106 overtime victory over the Sacramento Kings in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, ending one of the greatest playoff series in NBA history. The Lakers swept New Jersey to win their third straight title in the anticlimactic NBA Finals.
AP
An ordinary Sunday home game in a mediocre Lakers season turns into magic when Bryant goes off for 81 points, the second-highest total in NBA history. He mostly did it on jumpers in a close game, hitting seven 3-pointers while going 28 for 46 from the field and 18 for 20 from the line. Sure, he only had two assists. Not a soul at Staples Center cared.
Harry How/Getty Images)
(L-R) Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and Chris Bosh of the United States hold their gold medals after defeating Spain 118-107 in the gold medal game during Day 16 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium on Aug. 24, 2008 in Beijing, China.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
President Barack Obama (R) poses for photographs with Kobe Bryant (C), Derek Fisher and members of the National Basketball Association 2009 champions Los Angeles Lakers in the East Room of the White House January 25, 2010 in Washington, DC. The Lakers bested the Orlando Magic to win the NBA Finals in 2009.
Nathaniel S Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates after winning over the Boston Celtics in Game Seven of the 2010 NBA Finals on June 17, 2010 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Harry How/Getty Images
Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers walks towards the tunnel after scoring 60 points against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.
Harry How/Getty Images
Kobe Bryant smiles at halftime as both his #8 and #24 Los Angeles Lakers jerseys are retired at Staples Center on December 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
"I'm still sad, but I’m at peace knowing he’s with his daughter," said fan Joy Satele outside Staples Center Friday morning. "They’re going to have endless one-on-one games. And then there’s so much love here, how can you not be okay?
"There’s no arguing. There’s no loudness. It’s peaceful here."
Roth said there will be a pre-game tribute to all of the crash victims.
Fans will receive No.8 and No.24 Kobe Bryant t-shirts, which were draped over Staples Center seats.
In the first NBA game at Staples Center since the helicopter disaster, the Clippers honored those killed in the helicopter crash with a touching tribute narrated by star Paul George. The Clippers usually cover the Lakers' banners and retired jersey numbers for their home games at Staples Center, but Bryant's retired jerseys went uncovered, on display high above the floor during the game against Sacramento.
"From this point on it is always going to be tough, especially being here in LA," George said after the game. "I think every time we are in this arena and being reminded of him being in the rafters."
The Clippers tribute came one night after the NHL's LA Kings honored the helicopter crash victims with a pre-game ceremony. The team wore Kobe Bryant jerseys when they arrived at Staples Center.
Former longtime Kings announcer Bob Miller delivered a heartfelt speech before a video tribute and 24-second moment of silence. At the end of the first intermission, the Kings played Kobe Bryant's postgame speech from his final NBA game in which he scored 60 points.
The Kings' uniforms included a special logo for Bryant and Gianna.
Staples Center also was the site of Sunday's Grammy Awards, where artists also shared tributes to the crash victims.
Federal investigators are attempting to determine what went wrong Sunday when a helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, killing Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli and his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa, Payton and Sarah Chester, basketball coach Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan.
The helicopter crashed in foggy conditions on its way to a girls basketball tournament at the Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park.
The charter company that owned and operated the helicopter said Thursday it was halting its services for “operational reasons.” Representatives for Island Express Helicopters told NBC News it was not clear how long the suspension of service would last.
