Sabrina Ionescu delivers moving speech at Kobe & Gianna Bryant's Celebration of Life

Oregon Ducks star Sabrina Ionescu delivered a meaningful speech at the Celebration of Life for her friends Kobe and Gianna Bryant on Mon., Feb. 24th at Staples Center in Los Angeles (Getty Images)

Hours before playing and making history at No. 3 Oregon’s 74-66 win at No. 4 Stanford, Sabrina Ionescu was among the many stars and athletes at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Mon., Feb. 24th for the Celebration of Life for Gianna and Kobe Bryant.

Ionescu was one of the speakers who knew Kobe and Gianna in a particular way, both on the basketball floor and in life. The event was emceed by Jimmy Kimmel, and the speaker list also included Michael Jordan, Dianna Taurasi, Geno Auriemma, Shaquille O’Neal, and other legends.

Ionescu spoke personally, and from the heart.

“That’s what he [Kobe] believed, that’s what he lived – through GiGi, through me, through his investment in women’s basketball. That was his next great act.”

🗣 @sabrina_i20 at @kobebryant‘s Celebration of Life.#ncaaW | @OregonWBB (🎥 @espnW)pic.twitter.com/Vgv5GRNpXC

— NCAA Women’s Basketball (@ncaawbb) February 24, 2020

“Rest easy my guy” 💛💜 @sabrina_i20 pic.twitter.com/CYkp9e7zAF

— Oregon Women’s Basketball (@OregonWBB) February 24, 2020

“I still text [Kobe] even though he’s not here.”

– Sabrina Ionescu while speaking at Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s Celebration of Life pic.twitter.com/sOVh82u68Z

— espnW (@espnW) February 24, 2020

Ionescu flew to Stanford shortly after that, where she made NCAA Division 1 history becoming the first player, in the women’s or men’s game, to reach 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career assists.

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