Vanessa Bryant took to Instagram on January 26 to mark one year since the tragic deaths of her husband Kobe and daughter Gianna. The basketball legend and his daughter passed away in a helicopter crash near their home in Calabasas, California. Bryant shared three posts on the social media platform over the course of the day, continuing to mourn the loss while revealing the impact Kobe and Gianna’s deaths had on those close to them and the world at large.
Bryant’s first post featured a letter from her daughter’s friend Aubrey. In the letter, she recalled Gianna’s dedication and tenacity, along with the big dreams she had. While Gianna’s time on Earth was short, Aubrey noted the impact she was able to make, and the strides she and Kobe were already making in terms of equality in sports.
Bryant thanked her for sharing such a sweet message in the post’s caption and also opened up about her personal feelings one year removed from the dark day.
“I miss my baby girl and Kob-Kob so much, too. I will never understand why/how this tragedy could’ve happened to such beautiful, kind and amazing human beings. It still doesn’t seem real. Kob, we did it right. Gigi, you still make mommy proud. I love you!” she wrote.
Bryant also shared a video made by the Instagram page Overtime WBB detailing Gianna’s game on the basketball court. She thanked the page for making the three-minute clip while referring to her daughter by her nickname of “Mambacita.” WNBA superstar Candace Parker paid tribute to what could have been the future of her sport in the comments section of the post, with a message consisting of heart and praising hands emoji.
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Bryant’s final post was simple, just a photo of her husband and daughter sitting courtside at a basketball game. Kobe and Gianna’s close relationship is well known, and their shared passion for the game saw them regularly appear at NBA matchups. With Gianna planning to follow in her father’s footsteps, the image was a devastating reminder of what could have been. The image was well received by Bryant’s followers, with more than 777,000 liking the post and the comments section filling with tributes for the legends.
Bryant also regularly posts on her Instagram stories, sharing the sweet tribute posts made in honor of Kobe and Gianna. Among those who remembered her husband and daughter were Gigi Hadid, Pau Gasol, La La Anthony and Kate Hudson.