Sheโs posing with Kobe, who passed away in a helicopter crash in 2020, along with the coupleโs daughter Gianna, in the picture, with him putting one arm around her waist and her pressing against his chest. In the picture, Kobe and Vanessa are both beaming broadly.
In the caption of the shot, she mentioned that it was taken 24 years ago on this day, which also happened to be Kobeโs jersey number in the later stages of his legendary career: โ24 years ago. Day 1. #1999 ๐โค๏ธ 11/27/99.โAt โLakers Nightโ at Dodger Stadium, Natalia, the daughter of Vanessa and Kobe Bryant, pays tribute to her late father
Vanessa and Kobe Bryantโs Daughter Natalia Honors the late father at Dodger Stadiumโs โLakers Nightโ
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Numerous well-known friends of Vanessa expressed their admiration for the couple in the comments section. Kim Kardashian wrote, โโพ๏ธ,โ Alicia Keys wrote, โ4 ever!!!!! ๐๐๐๐,โ and Lauren London, who lost her partner Nipsey Hussle in 2019, wrote, โ๐๐๐.โ
The post also had some love from WNBA player Sabrina Ioenescu, who wrote, โ๐๐๐โ beside a picture of her longtime mentor and his wife.
Alex Rodriguez, a legend of the New York Yankees, also chimed on, saying, โ๐ฅ๐ฅโ on the endearing picture of Vanessa and his deceased pal.
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Along with being a mother to Natalia, 20, Bianka, 6, and Capri Kobe, 4, Vanessa also frequently posts old pictures of herself and her late spouse on Instagram.
On Fatherโs Day this year, she showed him her respect by referring to him as โthe very best girl daddyโ and by posting pictures of him with their four children; one of them was the late Gianna, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 13 together with her father and seven other people.
She published a memorial in August to mark the day he would have turned 45 by sharing ten pictures of them from their many years of dating. โBaby, happy 45th birthday! Forever and ever, I love you. โโค๏ธ #82378,โ she wrote as the photoโs caption.
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Later that month, she said that in honor of Kobeโs achievements for the organization and his legacy, a statue would be erected outside the L.A. Lakers arena.
โAs you are aware, Kobe was a Los Angeles Laker for his entire 20-year NBA career,โ she stated in a video that was shared on the teamโs and her Instagram accounts. โPlaying in the City of Angels, he felt at home here since moving here and joining the Lakers organization.โ
โOn behalf of the Lakers, my daughters, and me, I am so honored that, right in the center of Los Angeles, in front of the place known as โThe House That Kobe Built,โ we are going to unveil his statue so that his legacy can be celebrated forever,โ she stated.
On February 8, 2024, the statue will be unveiled, joining the other Lakes greats who already have sculptures honoring them, including Chick Hearn, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Shaquille OโNeal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss said at the time, โKobe Bryant was one of the most extraordinary athletes of all time and one of the most iconic individuals in the history of Los Angeles.โ
โHere, in the heart of our city, where everyone can celebrate him and be inspired by his incredible achievements, is the best place to honor Kobe with a statue.โ
The league mentioned that before Kobe passed away about four years ago, he was involved in the statueโs planning.
