Thousands of fans and supporters gathered at the Staples Center in Los Angeles yesterday to celebrate the life of Kobe and Gigi Bryant, and the seven other victims of the tragic helicopter crash that took their lives on January 26th, 2020. Celebrities and close friends of the Bryant family, including Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez, gathered for the ceremony that beautifully paid tribute to the late NBA star and his daughter.
Beyoncé opened up the memorial service with a powerful rendition of "Halo" and "XO," which she noted was one of Kobe's favourite songs. As Beyoncé took the mic, many fans noticed that the singer's nails were painted purple, one of the Los Angeles Lakers' team colours, and adorned with a touching tribute: On one hand, the singer’s tips spelled out the name “Gigi” in rhinestones, and on the other, they spelled out “Kobe.”
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Beyoncé has “Gigi” painted on her nails. pic.twitter.com/ADSk00SGVc
— Kalen (@kalenstar) February 24, 2020
Lopez, who also attended the memorial, honoured Gigi and Kobe by etching their respective basketball jersey numbers, "24" and "2", onto each of her index fingernails in gold — another nod to the Lakers' colours.
This isn't the first time a celebrity has paid tribute to the late athlete through nail art. Just hours after the tragic accident, actress Priyanka Chopra attended the Grammy Awards with the number “24” written on one nail in purple and posted a close-up look at the meaningful decal on Instagram with the caption #RIPMamba.
As family, friends, teammates, and fans mourn, many have turned to outlets like nail art and tattoos to remember the Bryants. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were two of several athletes who honoured the basketball legend with permanent tattoos. Just earlier today, Vanessa Bryant thanked her friend and soccer star, Sydney Leroux, for her meaningful ink.
While these are likely not the last we'll see of Bryant-inspired tattoos and nails, today's timing makes the subtle, yet sentimental details feel especially poignant.