Vanessa Bryant Honors Kobe, Gianna: 'We Love You Both ... Forever and Always'

Vanessa Bryant honored her husband Kobe and daughter Gianna during the public celebration of their lives Monday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

"We love you both and miss you. Forever and always, mommy," Bryant said, per Good Morning America.

Kobe and Gianna Bryant were among the nine victims of a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in January.

"God knew they couldn't be on this Earth without each other," Vanessa said, per the New York Times' Marc Stein. "He had to bring them home to heaven together."

The Los Angeles Times transcribed Bryant's heartfelt speech:

"Gigi was very competitive like her daddy. But Gianna had a sweet grace about her. Her smile was like sunshine. Her smile took up her entire face like mine. Kobe always said she was me. She had my fire. My personality and sarcasm. She was tender and loving on the inside. She had the best laugh. It was infectious. It was pure and genuine.

"I won't be able to tell her how gorgeous she looks on her wedding day, never get to see my baby walk down the aisle, have a father-daughter dance with her daddy, dance on the dance floor with me or have babies of her own. Gianna would have been an amazing mommy. She was very maternal ever since she was really little."

The Bryant family held a private service for Kobe and Gianna on Feb. 7 and organized a public ceremony to coincide with their respective jersey numbers, No. 24 and 2.

Kobe Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, five-time NBA champion and the 2008 MVP. He's also a finalist in the Basketball Hall of Fame's 2020 class, all but guaranteed to go in on the first ballot.

Gianna, nicknamed the "Mambacita," was set to follow in her father's footsteps.

She and Kobe became a fixture on the sidelines at NBA, WNBA and college basketball games, and she dreamt of suiting up for the powerhouse Connecticut Huskies. Bleacher Report's Mirin Fader shared a story from when the Bryants attended the 2018 Final Four, and UConn lost in the semifinals:

"Walking out of Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, Gigi is crying her eyes out. And she's angry. Her face is all twisted up. She gets into a car full of family and crosses her arms tightly across her chest.

"Kobe sees her in the rearview. 'You OK?' he asks.

"'When I get to UConn,' she manages, between tears, 'this is never happening! I promise you that!'"

Thousands of fans and a number of basketball luminaries traveled to Staples Center for Monday's celebration of life.

Proceeds from the ticket sales for Monday's event will be donated to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.