A gallery of basketball legends joined thousands of Kobe Bryant fans in Los Angeles on Monday to pay tribute to the transcendent NBA star, his daughter and seven others who died in a helicopter crash last month that shocked the world of sports and beyond.

The "Celebration of Life" memorial at the Staples Center, Bryant's home arena during most of his storied 20-season career with the Los Angeles Lakers, featured an emotional address by Bryant's widow, Vanessa, who started dating Kobe when she was 17.

She told a rapt audience that included National Basketball Association luminaries and show-business celebrities about the pain of losing her 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, "an amazingly sweet and gentle soul," and the husband she called her "soulmate."