A sea of purple and gold surrounded Staples Center on Monday as thousands of fans celebrated the lives of a Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his beloved daughter, Gianna.
Fans who were lucky enough to be chosen in a lottery-style system spoke out after the memorial.
"I cried a lot," said Monique Nevels, of Woodland Hills, who attended the memorial. "It was very emotional. And very beautiful."
"It was good to see a city and a community all come together and really mourn and celebrate at the same time," said Will An, an attendee . "It was special to be apart of."
"He did his great thing on the court and being impactful for women, you know?" said Natalie Daniels, of Oceanside. "I'm a sports player. And just trying to make equality. I'm glad I could have attended. This was amazing."
"Once she talked about her daughter… that was the hardest part," said Katara Begay, of the Navajo Nation, about when Bryant's wife, Vanessa, spoke. "To be a mother and a wife. To hear her talk about her daughter was very emotional. You could just feel it. You could feel the love that everyone in there had for Kobe."
"We applied for tickets, randomly got chosen, decided to come," said Jabari Stewart, of Rancho Cucamonga. "$224 per ticket, but this is once in a a lifetime."
Nevels said it was powerful to be a part of it.
"Being there and feeling the love, and hearing people scream his name and Gianna's name, is just very moving and emotional."
