Vanessa Bryant, the wife of late NBA great Kobe Bryant, shared an emotional tribute to her daughter, Gianna, on what would have been her 17th birthday on Monday.
Bryant posted three separate photos on Instagram, showing «Gigi,» as she was known, with big smiles on her face on a carousel and with her family.
«Happy birthday sweet Gigi! We love you to the moon and back infinity +1. Forever and ever,» Bryant wrote.
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Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant attend a basketball game between the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on December 29, 2019 in Los Angeles. (Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
«Happy 17th birthday girl. I love and miss you so much sweet Angel,» he wrote in the other post.
«I love you Mambacita. Happy birthday, girl.»
Additionally, in honor of Gigi Bryant’s birthday, Vanessa Bryant teamed up with the Kobe team at Nike to put together the Kobe IV Protro Mambacita sneaker, which is an ode to his legacy.
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«It was important to all of us to celebrate Gigi’s life within these Kobe designs,» Vanessa Bryant said.
She shared the sneaker ahead of its release on Monday.
Vanessa Bryant also showed a video featuring Nike’s #PlayGigisWay campaign, which was explained by various NBA and WNBA stars, as well as those who personally knew their game on and off the court.
Kobe Bryant poses with his family at halftime after both of his Lakers jerseys were retired at Staples Center on December 18, 2017 in Los Angeles. (Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images)
«Playing Gigi’s way means devoting yourself completely to the process of being the absolute best player and person you can be,» said New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu.
«Working on your craft, pushing yourself so you can continue to grow as a player. Be determined, just having fun,» said Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant’s teammate on the Los Angeles Lakers.
«To show girls around the world that they can play basketball too and be just as motivated as she is,» said her fifth and sixth grade coach, Jon Grogan.
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«Playing Gigi’s way is always the will to improve, not play selfishly, play with joy and always try to be the best version of yourself,» explained Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
«Playing Gigi’s way means improving everyone around you. Gigi has improved me since we were 5 years old. Her radiant smile brought joy to every moment,» said teammate Aubrey Callaghan.
Vanessa Bryant attends a ceremony unveiling Kobe Bryant’s hand and footprints on the forecourt of TCL Chinese Theater on March 15, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (JC Olivera/Getty Images)
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The Bryant family and the NBA world continue to feel a void with the loss of Kobe and Gianna, who tragically passed away after a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, which also claimed the lives of seven others.