During their time together, Vanessa and Kobe Bryant became parents to 4 daughters: Natalia, Bianca, Capri and Gianna.
The last of them died along with the basketball player after the helicopter they were transporting to a basketball game crashed on January 26, 2020.
On several occasions, Vanessa Bryant has publicly expressed the pain these losses have caused her, as well as the “strength” she feels her late husband and daughter give her, even though they are no longer around.
Vanessa Bryant dedicated messages to her daughter Gianna on her birthday
On Gigi’s birthday, as Gianna was affectionately called, Vanessa Bryant remembered her daughter with touching messages.
On May 1, Kobe Bryant’s widow used her social networks to honor the memory of the young basketball player.
On her Instagram account, she shared several photos of Gianna on a visit to Disneyland with the rest of her family. At the bottom he dedicated several messages of affection to them, such as: “Happy birthday baby. I love and miss you so much, my sweet angel.”
In another post, he reiterated the love he still has for him: “I love you to the moon and back, plus one. Forever”.
Vanessa Bryant also showed off her Spanish (she’s of Mexican descent) writing, “I love you, Mamacita (another of her affectionate nicknames for her daughter).”
Finally, the mother of the family posted a video in which Gigi Kobe’s colleagues and friends talked about the impact the young woman had on their lives.
Vanessa Bryant launched some sneakers to honor the memory of her daughter Gianna
As part of her late daughter’s birthday, Vanessa Bryant also launched a tennis partnership with Nike.
Dubbed the “Kobe 4 Potro Mambacita,” the model seeks to invite wearers to “play like Gigi” and “celebrate her competitive, joyful and quirky style of play,” according to the brand on its website.
The design is a classic white with black and integrated check details of those colors, in reference to the flannel shirts worn by Gianna Bryant in her everyday life.
On the back, the sneakers have Gigi’s name and the number 2, which she used to wear on the court.
The sneakers in honor of Kobe Bryant’s deceased daughter cost $180 and all proceeds will go to the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation, which seeks to promote sports among youth.