Vanessa Bryant paid tribute to her late husband, Kobe Bryant, and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant by remembering their shared love of basketball.
In an Instagram post shared on Thursday, March 26, Vanessa shared a sweet video of Kobe talking about coaching Gianna – who was nicknamed “Gigi” – on basketball and the happiness it brought him in sharing his passion with her.
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“She started out playing soccer, which is one of my favorite sports as well,” the former NBA star said in the clip. “But then, when she asked about learning the game of basketball, I started teaching her piece by piece, and she started enjoying it and loving it and now she plays every day.”
“It’s been a joy to watch her grow and to be there every day for that process,” Kobe continued. “Her temperament is a lot like mine. She’s extremely competitive, very fiery, and backs down from no challenge.”
In the same clip, Kobe added that Gianna is “a good mix of me and good mix of her mama, so that makes her even more competitive than I am.”
The Kobe and Gianna tribute comes two months after the two – along with pilot Ara Zobayan, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, John Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter, Alyssa Altobelli – passed away in a tragic helicopter accident in Calabasas, California.
Nearly two hours after sharing the video tribute, Vanessa shared a photo of her with 15-year-old daughter Natalia posing with a group. In the snap, the pair can be seen showing off the logos on their sweatshirts.
Recently, a source revealed to PEOPLE that Vanessa “is so grateful to have her kids and family around” since Kobe and Gianna’s tragic passing.
Brittany R
Brittany is a writer who is obsessed with rom-com movies, Gossip Girl, reality television, fashion, and pop-culture. When she isn't reporting on the latest celeb buzz, she is filling up her online shopping cart without checking out.