Monday morning, Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu stood in front of tens of thousands of people at the Staples Center and delivered an eloquent eulogy for her mentor, Kobe Bryant. Monday evening, Ionescu became the first ever Division I basketball player — men’s or women’s — to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists in their career.

Ionescu entered the evening needing just nine rebounds against Pac-12 rival Stanford. She nabbed four boards in the first half, and added four more by the four-minute mark in the third quarter as the No. 3 Ducks built a 12-point lead over the No. 4 Cardinal.

The historic 1,000th rebound came with 1:51 left in the third as Stanford’s Hannah Jump air-balled a three-point attempt.

2K points. 1K assists. 1K rebounds.



A history-making moment for Sabrina Ionescu! pic.twitter.com/RKcpt5Dhpy — ESPN (@espn) February 25, 2020

Ionescu’s achievement is impressive no matter how you look at it, but especially considering her ability to score, dish, and rebound with such skill as a point guard.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and musician Ciara were on hand to witness history being made, as were NBA star Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha.

At the Bryants’ Celebration of Life, Ionescu shared that she still texts her mentor after the tragic Jan. 26 helicopter crash that took his life, and the lives of eight others. “The last one I sent him said, ‘I miss you. May you rest in peace, my dear friend,’” Ionescu stated during the memorial. “The texts go through, but no response. It still feels like he’s there, on the other end. That the next time I pick up my phone, he would have hit me back. Sometimes, I find myself still waiting.”

"That's what he [Kobe] believed, that's what he lived – through GiGi, through me, through his investment in women's basketball. That was his next great act."



@sabrina_i20 at @kobebryant's Celebration of Life.#ncaaW | @OregonWBB ( @espnW)pic.twitter.com/Vgv5GRNpXC — NCAA Women’s Basketball (@ncaawbb) February 24, 2020

She went on to implore those in attendance — including NBA stars like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal — to continue supporting and investing in the women’s game. Ionescu’s teammates watched her eulogy from Stanford’s arena in Palo Alto.