Lakers-Trail Blazers: Stubhub donating ticket sale fees to Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Foundation
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In a touching show of support, StubHub says it will donate all of the fees associated with ticket sales for the Lakers-Trail Blazers game Friday to the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation.
The ticket resale company made the announcement on its website in the wake of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant's death. The 41-year-old was killed Sunday in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.
The Lakers' first game following Bryant's death was initially scheduled for Tuesday, but the NBA postponed the game against the Los Angeles Clippers "out of respect for the Lakers organization." Stubhub is also expected to donate proceeds from the Lakers-Clippers game.
The Bryant foundation aims to improve the lives of families in need and strengthen communities through financial resources and cultural enrichment opportunities, according to its website.
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As of Wednesday morning, tickets for Friday's game at Staples Center ranged from nearly $900 to more than $6,600.
At one point, the best available seats - courtside near the Lakers bench - were selling for $11,000.
News of the Lakers legend's death has rocked the sports and entertainment worlds. At Staples Center, thousands of fans have showed up for several days, creating impromptu memorials with candles, flowers, memorabilia and gifts while some held Lakers banners. A digital sign at L.A. Live showed an image of Bryant with the words "In Loving Memory of Kobe Bryant."
Fans gather at Staples, Calabasas crash site to honor Lakers legend
Fans also gathered near the Lakers' practice facility in El Segundo, where players are expected to return to practice Wednesday.
Tributes have poured in from around the world, from a mural of Kobe and Gianna Bryant painted in Mid-City Los Angeles to a mural of the father-daughter duo on a basketball court in Manila, Philippines.
Closer to home, friends and players remembered the charismatic shooting guard.
An emotional Shaquille O'Neal delivered a powerful tribute before leading fans in chants of "Kobe! Kobe!" as he left Staples Center Tuesday night.
The brief encounter with fans came after Shaq offered a heartfelt recollection of Bryant in a special on TNT. The network was scheduled to broadcast Tuesday's Lakers-Clippers game.
Shaq sobbed as he shared stories about Bryant, their competitive relationship, and what the loss meant to him.
"We're not going to be able to joke at his Hall of Fame ceremony. We're not going be able to joke and say ha I got five, you got four," he said.
Jerry West, who engineered the draft-day trade that brought Bryant to the Lakers and then mentored him for years, said it felt like he lost a son.
"This is a sad city right now," West said. "Saddest day in my life."
Clippers coach Doc Rivers was emotional when talking about what Bryant means to him, hours after the crash.
"The news is just devastating to everybody who knew him - knew him a long time. He means a lot to me obviously. He was such a great opponent," Rivers said during the interview.
Lakers forward LeBron James broke his silence on the death of his friend and promised to carry on his legacy.
James took to Instagram on Monday night, stating: "I'm Not Ready but here I go. Man I sitting here trying to write something for this post but every time I try I begin crying again just thinking about you, niece Gigi and the friendship/bond/brotherhood we had!"
James went on to say that he heard Bryant's voice Sunday morning before he left Philadelphia to head back to LA, and he had no idea that it would be the last conversation they would ever have.
He also promised Bryant that he would continue his legacy:
"You mean so much to us all here especially #LakerNation and it's my responsibility to put this **** on my back and keep it going!! Please give me the strength from the heavens above and watch over me!"
Bryant's final tweet was a nod to James after he just passed him as the NBA's 3rd-highest scorer of all time.
The five-time NBA champion spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, winning the league MVP in 2008, capturing two scoring titles and earned 12 selections to the NBA's All-Defensive teams.
The Lakers legend's final game, a victory over the Utah Jazz, was his 1,346th of the regular season and he finished with 33,643 career points.
The cause of the helicopter crash remains under investigation,
WATCH: LA landmarks light up in purple and gold to honor Kobe Bryant
