Vanessa Bryant, Michael Jordan, Shaq & Others Honor Kobe & Gianna Bryant

In such a heartbreaking day, Vanessa Bryant delivered a moving 22-minute remembrance of her late husband and daughter at the open of the memorial for Kobe and Gianna Bryant at Staples Center.

Vanessa took the stage as the first speaker, after Beyonce delivered a performance to the Bryant family, and shared fond memories of the two larger-than-life personalities.

She gave stories of Gianna, affectionately known as “Gigi” kissing her every morning and night, and Kobe, her “boo boo,” finding time for gifts both handmade and emotional. She said he gave her the actual notebook and dress from “The Notebook,” hoping they would grow old together and watch their daughters have families of their own.

“God knew they couldn’t be on this earth without each other. He had to bring them home to have them together,” Vanessa said to close her remarks.

“Babe, you take care of our Gigi. And I’ve got Nana [Natalia], BB [Bianca] and Coco [Capri]. We’re still the best team.

“We love and miss you, Boo boo and Gigi. May you both rest in peace and have fun in heaven until we meet again one day. We love you both and miss you. Forever and always. Mommy.”

MICHAEL JORDAN:

One basketball icon paid tribute to another on Monday, as Michael Jordan offered his remembrances of his “brother” Kobe Bryant in a Monday memorial service.

“In the game of basketball, in life, as a parent, Kobe left nothing in the tank. “He left it all on the floor.”

“Maybe it surprised people … but we were very close friends,” said Jordan.

“Everyone always wanted to talk about the comparisons between he and I. I just wanted to talk about Kobe.”

Jordan spoke with tears streaming down his cheeks, calling to mind a famous internet meme of him emotional and red-eyed on the occasion of his induction to the game’s hall of fame.

“I told my wife I wasn’t going to do this because I didn’t want to see this for another three or four years,” cracked Jordan, drawing a wave of laughter. “This is what Kobe Bryant does to you.”

Shaq:

Shaquille O’Neal had one of the best Kobe Bryant stories on Monday during the emotional tribute to the late Lakers legend at the Staples Center.

O’Neal was telling the story about early on in his days with Bryant as his teammate in Los Angeles. As O’Neal tells it, several of their teammates were complaining that Bryant wasn’t passing the ball enough. As a leader on the team, Shaq took it upon himself to go and talk to the young player.

“There’s no I in team,” Shaq recalls telling Bryant.

“Yeah,” said Bryant, “but there is an M-E in that mother-[expletive].”

It was perfect, and brought the house down. Here’s video of it.

Bryant and Gianna were among nine people who were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Jan. 26.

The other people killed in the crash included:

John Altobelli, 56, longtime coach of the Orange Coast College baseball team, along with his wife, Keri, 46, and their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa, who was a teammate of Gianna on Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy basketball team;

Sarah Chester, 45, and her 13-year-old daughter Payton, who also played with Gianna and Alyssa;

Christina Mauser, 38, one of Bryant's assistant coaches on the Mamba Academy team; and

Ara Zobayan, 50, the helicopter pilot.

Bryant, 41, played his entire NBA career with the Lakers, helping lead the team to five championships and became one of the highest rated basketball players of all time by the end of his career.

Photo: Getty Images