There was a somber adjournment to the Los Angeles City Council meeting Tuesday, as council members paid their respects to Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant following his death in a Sunday morning helicopter crash that also killed his 13-year-old daughter and seven other people.

Councilman Herb Wesson said city leaders should try to live their lives like Bryant — by trying to be their best every day.

“I dare each and every one of us to be as great as we can be,” Wesson said. “You want to celebrate the life of an individual that was the heart and soul of this city for 20 years? Then let us be the best that we can be. Let us not settle. Let us do more.”

Council President Pro Tem Joe Buscaino and Councilman John Lee wore Kobe Bryant jerseys during the meeting. Councilman Curren Price wore a Lakers hat, and Councilman Paul Koretz wore a Lakers tie. Almost all of the council members wore either purple or gold.

“… To see how he can touch people’s lives, whether it was on the court, whether it was … giving back to his community, all the work he did to promote girls’ and women’s basketball that we so admire, it’s still hard to believe,” Lee said. “I saw it in the faces of my staff when we found out the news, and it’s something that is going to take us all, obviously, a long time to even accept.”

Koretz said he was driving when he heard Bryant had died, and he was in so much shock that he missed his turn. He said he drove around the Hollywood Hills for a while, trying to come to terms with the gravity of the news.

The city’s Board of Water and Power Commissioners held a moment of silence at the beginning of its meeting in memory of Bryant and the other crash victims.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors also adjourned in honor of Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and the other crash victims.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Gianna had her father’s spirit.

“If you saw her interviewed with her dad, they were two drops of water,” Barger said.

Supervisor Hilda Solis said the basketball legend “forged a special connection with Latinos” who Bryant once said were the first ones to embrace him as a player.

“May we honor Kobe’s memory by embodying his `Mamba mentality,”’ Solis said. “Their loss is a loss for everyone who knew Kobe and the Bryant family.”

City Hall and the Los Angeles International Airport gateway pylons have been illuminated in purple and gold at night and will continue to sport the Lakers’ colors through the rest of the week, Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

Council members said they eventually intend to plan a larger tribute celebration of Bryant’s life and legacy.

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