By July Torres

As family, friends, and fans gathered at the Feb. 24 memorial service for legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, Lehman students also mourned the sudden death of the fallen Lakers star.

Bryant tragically passed away after a helicopter carrying him crashed into the side of a mountain in California with seven other people aboard on Jan. 26. The crash cut short a career that included winning five NBA championships as a Los Angeles Laker over a 20-season career, and an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball.

“He died out of nowhere,” said Juan Ruiz, a history freshman. “I feel bad that children will be without their father. He was more than a player; he was a father figure.”

Other students agreed. “I’m not a huge basketball fan, but I knew of and respected Bryant,” Jessica Ortiz, an English freshman told the Meridian. “I don’t watch basketball, but I think everyone knows who Kobe is and was affected by his death. He seemed like a great father; it’s all very sad.”

Some Lehmanites admitted to feeling emotional while watching the memorial, which was attended by over 20,000 of the 80,000 people who had applied, according to ESPN.

Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, reminisced about the romantic union she shared with her husband, CNN reported.

“He gifted me the actual notebook and the blue dress Rachel McAdams wore in ‘The Notebook’ movie. When I asked him why he chose the blue dress, he said it was because it’s the scene when Allie comes back to Noah. We had hoped to grow old together like the movie. We really had an amazing love story,” she said at the service.

Janelle Gardner, an English major, Lehman senior and basketball fan, said: “[His wife]’s speech was very touching, I cried watching it. Kobe means a lot to many kids playing basketball today.”

“I don’t know how [his wife] found the strength to even speak. It was so hard to watch,” said Kelvin Ford, a speech pathology and audiology major and sophomore. 

Celebrities also paid tribute at the memorial. Beyoncé performed her songs Halo and XO, which she expressed was one of Bryant’s favorite songs, according to Billboard. Christina Aguilera sang “Ave Maria” in Italian, as Bryant grew up in Italy, The Today Show reported; meanwhile Alicia Keys performed “Moonlight Sonata,” which she said on Twitter that Bryant learned to play for his wife.

According to The New York Post, Michael Jordan mourned Bryant in tears as he gave a speech about their relationship, while Shaquille O’Neal talked about their friendship on and off the court. “Kobe and I pushed on another to play some of the greatest basketball of all time,” said O’Neal.

ESPN reporter, Elle Duncan, shared a story about the time Bryant at an event. Duncan, who was pregnant at the time, asked Bryant, who has four daughters, about having more girls. According to Duncan, Bryant replied, “I would have five more girls if I could. I am a girl dad.”

Even though Ford preferred Michael Jordan, he appreciated Bryant’s skills on the court. When asked what he believes Kobe’s legacy is, he responded, “The mamba mentality that so many developed, and the legacy of family.”