Over the past week, fans have been paying tribute to Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others who lost their lives in a January 26 helicopter crash, by leaving mementos in the courtyard outside Staples Center.
Now L.A. Live officials say those tributes will be delivered to Bryant’s family.
“On behalf of all us who work at Staples Center, L.A. Live, thank u to those who have come downtown peacefully & respectfully to pay their respects to Kobe & Gianna Bryant and rest assured that the tributes u have left will be delivered to the Bryant family,” Lee Zeidman, president of the Staples Center, Microsoft Theater and L.A. Live, tweeted Saturday evening.
On Friday night as the Lakers returned to the court for the first time since the crash, thousands of fans filled the area outside Staples.
Many people left candles, flowers, posters, teddy bears, pictures and jerseys honoring the fallen Lakers icon. They also left condolence messages on several large white boards placed outside the facility.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was among those visiting the memorial last night. He tweeted a picture from the site and wrote: “It isn’t L.A. without you. Rest in power.”
Garcetti also shared a photo from inside Staples, that showed two courtside seats filled with red roses in honor of Kobe and Gianna. The seats were draped with Bryant’s Lakers jersey and Gianna’s basketball jersey from her dad’s Mamba Sports Academy.
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