Kobe Bryant‘s impact extended well beyond the world of basketball.On Thursday, the Los Angeles Football Club played their first home game at Banc of California Stadium since the tragic death of theNBAstar and his 13-year-old daughterGianna Bryantin a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, which also killedseven other passengers.At thesoccermatch, the athletes and spectators observed a larger-than-life tribute to Kobe and Gianna in the form of a giant banner that was erected behind one of the goals.“Kobe & Gianna Forever,” read the mural, which showed an artistic image of the father and daughter smiling together in the purple and yellow colors of theLos Angeles Lakers, Kobe’s basketball team.“Mamba forever. ??,” the LAFCwroteon Twitter, sharing a photo of the mural.The team’s official account also sharedfootageof the banner being unveiled, as well as fans clad in purple in the crowd holding up signs that formedKobe’s jersey numbers, 8 and 24.When news of Kobe’s death broke last month, athletes across the sports world shared stories about him, including baseball’sDerek Jeter, tennis’Novak Djokovicand golf’sTiger Woods.Earlier this month, Woods, 44, opened up about how he is coping with the tragedy, telling reporters that it’s hard to express the loss’ affect on him.“It’s hard to put into words what transpired and the fact that it’s a reality,” Woodssaid at the time. “Part of me thinks that it’s not real.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest storiesGianna Bryant, Kobe Bryant.Allen Berezovsky/GettyIn theirfirst home game following Kobe’s death, the Lakers squad paid tribute to the legend in an emotional night at the Staples Center.The arena was transformed into a sea of gold as each seat in the stadium was covered with either Bryant’s No. 8 or No. 24 jersey, which the thousands of fans donned to honor the fallen NBA star.After musical performances and a moment of silence, teammateLeBron Jamesgave amoving speechthat he said was “straight from the heart.”“As I look around this arena, we’re all grieving, we’re all hurt, we’re all heartbroken and when we’re going through things like this, the best thing you can do is lean on the shoulders of your family,” James, 35, said at the time.He added: “Now, I’ve heard about Laker Nation before I got here last year, about how much of a family it is and that is absolutely what I’ve seen this week. Not only from the players, the coaching staff and the organization, but from everybody. Everybody that’s here, this is truly, truly a family.”
Kobe Bryant‘s impact extended well beyond the world of basketball.
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Football Club played their first home game at Banc of California Stadium since the tragic death of theNBAstar and his 13-year-old daughterGianna Bryantin a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, which also killedseven other passengers.
At thesoccermatch, the athletes and spectators observed a larger-than-life tribute to Kobe and Gianna in the form of a giant banner that was erected behind one of the goals.
“Kobe & Gianna Forever,” read the mural, which showed an artistic image of the father and daughter smiling together in the purple and yellow colors of theLos Angeles Lakers, Kobe’s basketball team.
“Mamba forever. ??,” the LAFCwroteon Twitter, sharing a photo of the mural.
The team’s official account also sharedfootageof the banner being unveiled, as well as fans clad in purple in the crowd holding up signs that formedKobe’s jersey numbers, 8 and 24.
When news of Kobe’s death broke last month, athletes across the sports world shared stories about him, including baseball’sDerek Jeter, tennis’Novak Djokovicand golf’sTiger Woods.
Earlier this month, Woods, 44, opened up about how he is coping with the tragedy, telling reporters that it’s hard to express the loss’ affect on him.
“It’s hard to put into words what transpired and the fact that it’s a reality,” Woodssaid at the time. “Part of me thinks that it’s not real.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories
Gianna Bryant, Kobe Bryant.Allen Berezovsky/Getty
In theirfirst home game following Kobe’s death, the Lakers squad paid tribute to the legend in an emotional night at the Staples Center.
The arena was transformed into a sea of gold as each seat in the stadium was covered with either Bryant’s No. 8 or No. 24 jersey, which the thousands of fans donned to honor the fallen NBA star.
After musical performances and a moment of silence, teammateLeBron Jamesgave amoving speechthat he said was “straight from the heart.”
“As I look around this arena, we’re all grieving, we’re all hurt, we’re all heartbroken and when we’re going through things like this, the best thing you can do is lean on the shoulders of your family,” James, 35, said at the time.
He added: “Now, I’ve heard about Laker Nation before I got here last year, about how much of a family it is and that is absolutely what I’ve seen this week. Not only from the players, the coaching staff and the organization, but from everybody. Everybody that’s here, this is truly, truly a family.”
source: people.com
