Cayetano relaunches Kobe Bryant exhibit at House

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday relaunched the exhibit honoring the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant at the House of Representatives.

Cayetano, along with House Committee on Youth and Sports Development chairperson Eric Martinez, led the ribbon-ceremony for the exhibit, which was attended by Meralco Bolts head coach Norman Black, PBA players, and student athletes.

Speaker Cayetano spearheads the relaunching of the Kobe Bryant exhibit at the House of Representatives. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/edBEwnGy4X

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) February 24, 2020

Cayetano leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the relaunching of the Kobe Bryant exhibit at the House. pic.twitter.com/aQn8dLvtjZ

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) February 24, 2020

The exhibit features the same items displayed during the first Kobe Bryant exhibit at the chamber, most of which come from Cayetano's collection himself.

These include Kobe's jerseys, figurines, posters, and shoes.

In an interview with reporters after the relaunch, Cayetano said they chose to reopen the exhibit on Monday, February 24, considering the significance of the numbers "2-24" to both Kobe and his daughter Gianna.

The number 24 was Kobe's jersey number, while number 2 was Gianna's.

"Nung nalaman namin na very significant yung 2-24 for Kobe and of course his daughter, and that sa Staples Center magkakaroon daw ng celebration of life, we thought na makapagbigay ng konting inspiration sa lahat ng ating kabataan," he said.

"And the Biblical principle di ba that 'We are a new being in Christ,' si Kobe ang sinasabi niya, 'Be the best version of yourself.' So we're hoping that this exhibit will also lead the members of Congress to always try to be the best version of themselves," he added.

Cayetano is hoping that with the exhibit would allow fans of the late basketball superstar to celebrate his life and remember his legacy.

"Marami talagang masyadong naapektuhan na mga kabataan, and we don't want to take that sadness for granted," he said.

"So through a simple tribute and simply communicating to our young people that he'll always be in our hearts, sana magbigay ito ng konting comfort sa kanyang mga fans at mga taong na-touch niya yung buhay," he added.

The exhibit will be up until 7 p.m. on Monday.

Kobe, Gianna, and seven others were killed the helicopter they were riding crash in Calabasas, California on January 26.

He rose to prominence as an 18-year-old rookie in 1996 and played 20 years for the Los Angeles Lakers, 18 of them as an all-star, and winning five NBA championships.

He also won two Olympic gold medals as a member of the US team in 2008 and 2012.

Kobe retired from professional basketball in 2016. — RSJ, GMA News