Entertainment Sports How Fans Are Honoring Kobe Bryant Around the World Memorials were set up across the country to honor the late basketball icon and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna By Diane J. Cho Diane J. Cho Diane J. Cho was the Features Editor of PEOPLE Digital from 2019 to 2022. She worked at the brand for nearly four years covering news, features, human interest, evergreen, holiday gift guides and more. She launched the How I Parent and What It's Really Like to Be …. digital series and has interviewed several celebrities and influential leaders within the entertainment industry. Prior to joining PEOPLE, Diane worked at Bustle, VH1 and Complex. She received her bachelor's degree in Journalism from Rutgers University and her master's degree from Columbia Journalism School. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 27, 2020 03:03 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 01 of 20 Broadimage/Shutterstock A fan waved a Los Angeles Lakers flag outside of the Staples Center in L.A., where a memorial was set up following the death of Kobe Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, in a helicopter crash early Sunday morning on Jan. 26, 2020. 02 of 20 APU GOMES/AFP via Getty Images Hundreds of fans gathered at the makeshift memorial that was created at the L.A. Live plaza in front of the Staples Center on Jan. 26. 03 of 20 ADAM S DAVIS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Fans placed flowers, candles and memorabilia during a vigil for the late basketball star and Gianna. 04 of 20 Broadimage/Shutterstock The Staples Center, home to Bryant for his entire 20-year career, paid tribute with his photo set on a big screen with the year he was born (1978) and the year he died (2020). 05 of 20 Michael Tullberg/Getty Images Photos of Bryant and his daughter were surrounded by candles from morning to night. 06 of 20 STR/AFP via Getty A sand sculpture created by Indian artist Sudarsan Pattnaik is pictured here at Puri Beach in Bhubaneswar, India, with a message that says, "We will miss you." 07 of 20 MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Children played basketball - the day after the tragic news hit - at the "House of Kobe" gym, which was built in honor of former Laker's 2016 visit to Manila in the Philippines. 08 of 20 MARIA TAN/AFP via Getty Outside of "House of Kobe," fans left flowers next to a mural of Bryant in the Philippines. 09 of 20 Azmi Tuncel/Anadolu Agency via Getty At the vigil held outside of L.A.'s Staples Center, fans stood around candles, flowers and memorabilia that were arranged to honor the star. 10 of 20 Fans outside Staples Center. Apu GOMES / AFP This aerial shot shows just how many people came out to pay their respects to Bryant and his family. 11 of 20 Fans react to Kobe Bryant’s death. David McNew/Getty People were seen weeping and supporting each other as they mourned the loss of an L.A. hero. 12 of 20 David McNew/Getty While the mood was somber for most of the day, fans were also seen cheering for Bryant as the Staples Center lit up in Lakers colors: purple and yellow. 13 of 20 James Devaney/Getty Madison Square Garden also paid tribute to Bryant during the Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks game on Jan. 26, 2020, in N.Y.C. 14 of 20 Hannah Peters/Getty Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios warmed up ahead of his Men's Singles fourth round match against Rafael Nadal wearing a No. 8 Kobe Bryant jersey on day eight of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 27, 2020, in Melbourne, Australia. 15 of 20 Anna Webber/Getty Steven Tyler's third annual Grammy Awards viewing party at Raleigh Studios in L.A. honored the star with purple lighting and a large screen with the star's photo. 16 of 20 APU GOMES/AFP via Getty Luis Villanueva lit a candle in front of a Kobe Bryant mural in downtown L.A on Jan. 26, 2020. 17 of 20 Jonathan Bachman/Getty A moment of silence was observed for Bryant before a game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Boston Celtics at the Smoothie King Center on Jan. 26, 2020, in New Orleans. 18 of 20 John Shearer/Getty Both of the athlete's retired jerseys were lit up throughout the 2020 Grammys, during which music's biggest stars shared their condolences and what they admired about the late athlete and his legacy. 19 of 20 Kevin C. Cox/Getty No. 11 of the Atlanta Hawks, Trae Young, wrote "Kobe Bryant" with a heart on his shoes before facing the Washington Wizards at the State Farm Arena on Jan. 26, 2020, in Atlanta. 20 of 20 CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty More flowers, candles, balloons and memorabilia were gathered in front of the Staples Center throughout the night in L.A.