‘He Was My Everything’: NBA’s Kobe Bryant Mourned at Los Angeles Arena

Alberta ‘War Room’ Supporters Say Negative Publicity Expected, More Time Needed, While Calls Mount for Centre’s Closure

The Alberta government’s “war room,“ a.k.a the Canadian Energy Centre, has faced a number of battles and made some stumbles in its first 10 weeks of existence, garnering negative publicity and leading opponents to call for its closure, while supporters want it to weather the storm and serve its purpose. The opposition New Democrats say the initiative is a waste of money, with NDP energy critic Irfan Sabir calling it “a costly, ridiculous failure.” But Michael Binnion, president and CEO of Questerre Energy and a supporter of the war room, says the negative media coverage of the CEC doesn’t come as a surprise. “I’m not surprised to see the MSM [mainstream media] criticisms since one of the reasons we need the CEC to inform the public is [due to] the…

LOS ANGELES—A gallery of basketball legends joined thousands of Kobe Bryant fans in Los Angeles on Feb. 24 to pay homage to the transcendent NBA star, his daughter and seven others who died last month in a helicopter crash that sent shockwaves through the world of sports and beyond.

Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and former Bryant teammate Shaquille O’Neal were among the attendees at 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.

‘He Was My Everything’: NBA’s Kobe Bryant Mourned at Los Angeles Arena

The event, which opened with a performance by singer Beyonce and a montage of Bryant’s basketball highlights, featured an emotional address by Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, who spoke about losing her 13-year-old daughter Gianna and the husband she called her “soulmate.”

“He was mine. He was my everything,” she said of the man she began dating when she was 17.

Vanessa Bryant recalled how Gianna loved to watch Disney movies with her sisters and enjoyed baking for her family.

“Gianna Bryant is an amazingly sweet and gentle soul,” Vanessa told the crowd through tears. “Her smile was like sunshine. Her smile took up her entire face.”

Bryant, 41, and the others were killed in the crash while en route to a youth basketball tournament at which Kobe was planning to coach his daughter and her teammates.

Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the operator of the helicopter, according to a report on Monday from the Los Angeles Times. The pilot was one of those killed in the crash.

Fans gathered outside the arena hours before the event started, many of them clad in Lakers purple and gold.

“I have been a Kobe fan for a long, long time. It is so sad, especially with the children. But it has really brought the city together,” said Bubacar Drammeh, who stood outside the venue and planned to watch the memorial on TV.

Somber Mood

Inside the Staples Center, the mood was somber. Concession stands were closed and cell phone use discouraged. Attendees were not allowed in if they arrived late and were not allowed to leave early.

Bryant, who joined the National Basketball Association at age 18 straight out of high school, was a five-time NBA champion and fourth-highest scorer in league history with 33,643 points.

The Lakers, where he spent his entire career, retired both of his jersey numbers – 8 and 24, which hang from the arena’s rafters.

Tributes to Bryant have appeared across the city, with his numbers displayed on the Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel, city buses bearing “RIP Kobe” signs and purple and gold lights added to the pylons at LAX airport.

“Kobe was like a brother to all of us, he was family and this means a lot,” said Henry Martinez, 37, from Los Angeles. “Even though I didn’t get in and the tickets are tight, I’m still going to come out here and show my respects to Kobe Bryant.”

During the annual NBA All-Star weekend three weeks after his death, the league announced its All-Star Game Most Valuable Player honor would be permanently named for the late superstar.

By Rory Carroll

This article is from the Internet:‘He Was My Everything’: NBA’s Kobe Bryant Mourned at Los Angeles Arena

Julian Assange Appears in British Court to Fight US Extradition Bid

LONDON—Julian Assange appeared before a British court on Monday to fight an extradition request from the United States which wants to put the 48-year-old on trial for hacking government computers and violating an espionage law. A hero to admirers who say he has exposed abuses of power, Assange is cast by critics as a dangerous enemy of the state who has undermined Western security. He says the extradition is politically motivated by those embarrassed by his revelations. Almost a decade since his WikiLeaks website enraged Washington by leaking secret U.S. documents, he is wanted by the United States on 18 criminal counts of conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law and could spend decades in prison if convicted. Now, some 10 months after he was dragged from…