Thousands of celebrities, athletes, family members and fans poured into the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Monday to honor basketball great Kobe Bryant, who died last month in a helicopter crash that also killed his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. The public memorial -- dubbed "A Celebration of Life for Kobe and Gianna Bryant" -- is being held in the arena where Bryant wowed fans for nearly two decades while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. The 2/24 date for the memorial carries special significance as it coincides with Bryant's jersey number -- "24" -- and Gianna's "2" jersey number.

Fellow Laker legend Magic Johnson was among those attending the memorial, which is taking place just hours after the Lakers 114-112 win over the Boston Celtics at Staples Center on Sunday. "It's hard in a two-minute, five-minute time to say everything he meant to the world, to the NBA and to basketball fans. He's bigger than life," Johnson said ahead of the game on Sunday. "And it will take years to get over his passing and his daughter and the seven other people who lost their lives as well."