Kobe and Gianna Bryant Memorial: What You Need to Know

Thousands of mourners will gather in Staples Center on Monday to say farewell to Kobe and Gianna Bryant.

The basketball superstar and his 13-year-old daughter will be honored in a public memorial at the arena where Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Check back on our website for live coverage of the event.

Kobe and Gianna Bryant died along with seven others on Jan. 26 in a helicopter crash.

One caller even speculated with the dispatcher if the pilot faced disorientation due to the fog. Beverly White reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3, 2020.

The Celebration of Life will feature speakers reflecting on Kobe Bryant's impact on his sport and the world, along with music and retrospectives on Bryant's on-court achievements. Bryant became active in film, television and writing after he retired from basketball in 2016.

Bryant's family, dozens of sports greats and many major figures in Bryant's public life are expected to attend.

Video captured by a Glendale, California, resident appears to show the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and six other passengers circling above Glendale half an hour before the fatal crash. David Lyudnirsky, who lives below the known flight path of the helicopter, said he started filming because of the noise of the chopper circling above his house.

Staples Center is sold out for the memorial, which begins at 10 a.m (1 p.m. ET). The money made from ticket sales will be given to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, which supports youth sports programs in underserved communities and teaches sports to girls and women.

Bryant played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Lakers, including the final 17 seasons at Staples Center, which opened in 1999. The five-time NBA champion's two retired jersey numbers — 8 and 24 — hang high above the arena where he became the third-leading scorer in league history until Lakers star LeBron James passed him on the night before Bryant's death.

Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Sunday. The Los Angeles Lakers star played 20 years in the NBA, inspiring athletes everywhere.

Bryant's death caused an outpouring of grief across Los Angeles, where he remained the city's most popular athlete into retirement. Dozens of public memorials and murals have been installed around the sprawling metropolis, and thousands of fans gathered daily outside Staples Center to commiserate after the crash.

Symbolic meanings will run throughout the ceremony, which will be held on a 24-foot-by-24-foot stage. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's wife and Gianna's mother, chose Feb. 24 as the date in honor of the uniform numbers of Kobe and Gianna, who wore No. 2 on her youth basketball teams.

A private funeral was held for Kobe and Gianna Bryant in Orange County on Feb. 7.