LOS ANGELES — The line began to form hours before the public memorial service began.
Thousands of heartbroken Lakers fans respectfully waited outside the House that Kobe Built in subdued silence to say a final farewell to their fallen hero and his 13-year-old daughter.
Many wore Kobe Bryant jerseys bearing the Nos. 8 and 24 he donned during his illustrious Lakers career. Others came dressed in homemade T-shirts featuring the faces of Kobe and Gianna or their jersey numbers adorned with halos and angel wings. They did not chant or shout, only offering subdued applause when the Staples Center doors opened at last at 8:30 a.