00:00It was just last month when NBA icon Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a tragic helicopter crash.
00:07Today, I'm here outside Staples Center in Los Angeles, where thousands have gathered for a special memorial to honor the basketball legend and pay tribute to the other lives lost.
00:22Beyonce kicked off the celebration of life with a moving performance of her songs EXO and HALO.
00:30The event was televised and streamed everywhere from ESPN to national news networks and across social media.
00:42Jimmy Kimmel acted as the ceremony's MC.
00:45Other stars in attendance included Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union, Magic Johnson, and Snoop Dogg.
00:54Vanessa Bryant made her first public appearance since the tragedy.
00:57God knew they couldn't be on this earth without each other. He had to bring them home to heaven together.
01:04NBA legend Michael Jordan also took the stage to speak. As he fought back tears, he made the crowd smile.
01:10Now he's got me. I'll have to look at another crying meme for the Knicks.
01:17Fellow NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal also made the crowd laugh in one of the rare moments of levity during the memorial.
01:23I said, Kobe, there's no I in team. And Kobe said, I know, but there's an M.E. in that m...
01:31And Alicia Keys, who hosted the Grammys at Staples Center the same day as Kobe and Gianna's tragic death,
01:38returned to perform Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on the piano.
01:42Christina Aguilera also took the stage to sing Ave Maria.
01:52The memorial even included a special screening of Kobe's Oscar-winning animated short film, Dear Basketball.
02:05But after today, the memorial doesn't stop here, as both Kobe and Gianna will be remembered forever at LA Live.
02:11There's going to be a statue, at least one statue of Kobe and Gigi, maybe another one of Kobe that will go into Star Plaza where we'll have all the other statues.
02:20That planning began about two months ago when Kobe was getting ready to be inducted in the Hall of Fame.
02:25It is now accelerated due to the tragedy.
02:28Today's date, 224, is especially significant as it reflects the jersey numbers worn by both Gianna and Kobe.
02:33Reporting in Los Angeles, I'm Tiffany Taylor for The Hollywood Reporter News.
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