Fans Question Why Kobe Bryant’s Parents Weren’t Mentioned During Tribute
While they attended the Staples Center memorial service tribute on Monday (Feb. 24), to mourn the loss of their son and granddaughter, Kobe Bryant‘s parents were oddly excluded from any mention during the event.
Aside from an occasional camera pan to Kobe’s parents, Joe and Pam — showing them dabbing their eyes and later speaking to Mamba’s former teammate Shaquille O’Neal — no verbal mention of their presence nor any other sense of acknowledgement via photo slides, etc. was made about them nor Kobe’s sisters — and fans are perplexed.
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Some users across social media questioned the lack of acknowledgement, as others brought up old beef; noting the well-known facts that: 1) Bryant’s parents didn’t attend his wedding with wife Vanessa Bryant in 2001, and 2) later tried to auction off his items without his knowledge in 2013; which led to a lawsuit. However, users say that’s no reason to hold a grudge, especially during a time like this, and knowing they were on the mend.
In addition to missing their son’s final NBA game in 2016, Bryant later told ESPN, that, “Our relationship is sh*t. I say, ‘I’m going to buy you a vey nice home,’ and the response is, ‘That’s not good enough?’ Then you’re selling my sh*t?” However, in 2016, things appeared to have become mended and they continued working on their relationship.
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Also, as viewers witnessed emotional speeches by Vanessa, Shaq and Michael Jordan, many were frustrated that there weren’t any made by Bryant’s parents nor sisters.
As one user tweets, “Such a sad day for so many. Yet my WHOLE HEART ACHES for #PamBryant and #JoeBryant Kobe’s parents, who are present at the #StaplesCenter but have not been acknowledged by ANYONE. They are his PARENTS. 
,” another shares, “loved #KobeFarewell but to have Kobe’s parents & siblings not mentioned…Kobe did not get here via immaculate conception. Before Kobe was Kobe, he was Joe Bryant’s son the first to introduce him to the game, he was Pam Bryant’s son, his first love of a woman, he was a brother…”
Fans continued sharing their thoughts, even showing a different perspective of Joe and Pam having to bury their own child, as Vanessa did for Gianna. One user tweets, “I was wondering.. they buried a child! I feel horrible for them! I pray for all of them to heal, I really do.
before he was Mamba, before he was a husband, he was their child.“
Take a look at some of the fan reactions below
Such a sad day for so many. Yet my WHOLE HEART ACHES for #PamBryant and #JoeBryant Kobe's parents, who are present at the #StaplesCenter but have not been acknowledged by ANYONE. They are his PARENTS. 💔 pic.twitter.com/MwgTb0agAS
— #FlyEaglesFly 🦅 (@SheBleedsGreen) February 24, 2020
Speak on it! Bc I was wondering.. they buried a child! I feel horrible for them! I pray for all of them to heal, I really do.🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 before he was Mamba, before he was a husband, he was their child
— JoyEliz (@joy_eliz215) February 24, 2020
loved #KobeFarewell but to have Kobe’s parents & siblings not mentioned…Kobe did not get here via immaculate conception. Before Kobe was Kobe, he was Joe Bryant’s son the first to introduce him to the game, he was Pam Bryant’s son, his first love of a woman, he was a brother…
— She (@LOVE_HER_FAMILY) February 24, 2020
It would be a SHAME before GOD if they exclude #Kobe’s parents from speaking at the services today! I dont care WHAT happened! That would be COLD! NEVER forget! Do the right thing! Period! #KobeFarewell #KobeandGianna #JoeBryant #JellyBeanBryant #kobeandgigi #kobememorial
— Angela Blair Jeffries (@Angela_Blair) February 24, 2020
https://twitter.com/LakersGranny/status/1232045423583326208