Staples Center President Lee Zeidman said that there was "no place more fitting" than the arena to hold Monday's memorial for Kobe Bryant, according to Arash Markazi of the L.A. TIMES. Three days after Bryant's death, representatives of his family "reached out to Zeidman" to "see if the memorial could be held" at Staples Center on Monday. Zeidman agreed to the event, but said it would have to be in the "morning or early afternoon" due to a scheduled Grizzlies-Clippers game at the arena that night. Zeidman then contacted Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker and "told her about the proposed memorial." Zeidman: "I told her we would do the event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and we could turn over the building to you no later than 3:30 p.m. She said, 'Absolutely. We want to help out.'" He recommended a "center stage for the event to 'maximize more seats and it would help us do a quicker turnaround with the conversion to the Clippers game that night.'" The stage was set up after the Oilers beat the Kings 4-2 Sunday night and was "ready Monday morning for rehearsals before the doors opened" at 8:30am. Meanwhile, the Lakers and AEG "worked with Ken Ehrlich Productions to put on Bryant's 'Celebration of Life.'" Ehrlich assisted in "contacting and staging the musical performances" by Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera. Vanessa Bryant "worked closely with the Lakers on planning every facet of the event" (L.A. TIMES, 2/27).
