Today’s date contains the jersey numbers of Gianna Bryant (2) and Kobe Bryant (24) so it was only right to hold a public memorial for them on this day. Taking place at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, a building that Kobe Bryant made famous, the legend and his daughter were remembered by the world. If you weren’t able to snatch a ticket to the event, it was live-streamed for free on TIDAL. A who’s who of people in Kobe’s life, as well as men and women who idolized him from afar, took their seats in the arena before Vanessa Bryant, Michael Jordan, Jimmy Kimmel, and others addressed the crowd.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Jimmy Kimmel speaks during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

In the audience, famous faces could be spotted everywhere. A bunch of Kobe’s former teammates, including Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Lamar Odom, Metta World Peace, and others were seen in the audience. His former coaches and agents, including Rob Pelinka, Byron Scott, and Phil Jackson were also there. Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, and Beyoncé took the stage to sing, while A-listers Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Snoop Dogg, Queen Latifah, Jay-Z, and more watched on. 

The touching ceremony was bittersweet to watch. It included speeches from MJ, a heartbreaking eulogy from Vanessa Bryant to her daughter Gigi, and more.

Mamba out, but never forgotten.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Vanessa Bryant speaks during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Michael Jordan speaks during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Snoop Dogg attends The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Alicia Keys performs during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Jay-Z departs after The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Shaquille O’Neal speaks during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez depart after The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Christina Aguilera performs during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

On Sunday, shortly after the news broke that Lakers great Kobe Bryant had passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, rumors started circulating that his former teammate Rick Fox was  also on that helicopter ride and lost his life too. Thankfully, that turned out to be a false report as Rick was NOT on board of the flight, but he has since opened up about what his families had to endure during such difficult time.

“My family went through, in the midst of all this, something that I couldn’t imagine them experiencing,” Fox said, adding that it is one of his daughter’s “greatest fears” to find out through social media that one of her parents died.

“She, fortunately, called me and we were just talking and crying about the news of Kobe,” Fox said. But it was while he was on the phone with her that he began to receive multiple phone calls, which he said he ignored because after hearing the devastating news, he “[wanted] to be with my kids and my family.”

Fox said that someone had told his best friend, King Rice, that he may have been on the helicopter. “I’m seeing King’s number repeatedly going and going and going, and I think he’s worried about me, so I said, ‘I’m gonna talk to my best friend,’ so I answered and said, ‘Hey man, this is crazy about Kobe,’ and he just was bawling,” he recalled.

“And I started crying. And he was like, ‘You’re alive!’ And I was like, ‘Well, yeah. Like what do you mean?’ And it was in that moment that my phone just started going, and my mom and my sister and my brother… This has been a lot to process for all of us.”

“I’m glad that’s over with, but it was hard to deal with because it shook a lot of people in my life,” Fox concluded.

Check out Rick’s reaction to Kobe and the false rumor of his death (below).

They made magic happen in the paint together, and while they had their differences off of the court, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were like family. The two Los Angeles Lakers legends have known each other for decades and their families were interwoven—Kobe reportedly even texted Shaq's son Shareef just prior to the helicopter crash to ask how the 20-year-old has been recovering since his heart surgery. Following the news of Kobe's death, Shaq shared that he hasn't eaten or slept, and in a sorrowful segment of NBA on TNT, the basketball icon broke down in tears remembering his longtime friend.

Kevork Djansezian / Stringer / Getty Images

The NBA champion said that he was working out with his son when his nephew came in crying. His nephew held up his phone and showed him the news of Kobe's death and Shaq admits that initially, he told him to "get that out of my face." Shaq added, "We live in a world where anything can be photoshopped, anything can be hoaxed. I didn't want to believe it."

Sadly, others in the industry began calling Shaq to confirm that Kobe was gone. "I haven't felt a pain that sharp in a while," Shaq said. "Forty-seven-years-old... lost two grandmothers, lost a sarge, lost my sister, and now I lost a little brother. Our names will be attached together for what we did. People always ask about our relationship and I tell them it's just like me and Charles [Barkley]. You got two strong-minded people that are gonna get it done their way, gonna say certain things. The respect will never be lost. But when it comes to being inside the lines and winning, that's what me and him, that's what we did."

Shaq shared how he was further gutted by the false rumors that Rick Fox as on the helicopter and lost his life as well. Yet, the "final blow" was when he heard about Kobe's 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant who died alongside her father. It became difficult for Shaq to continue speaking about his friend as he became choked up and tears streamed down his face. The sports star said that this tragedy has shown him that he needs to take more time for the ones he loves because he's left wishing he could say more to his late friend. Watch the deeply emotional clip below.