Vanessa Bryant is remembering the life of her late husband, basketball legend Kobe Bryant. Along with their 13-year-old daughter Gianna, Kobe was one of nine people killed in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on January 26. Amidst the widespread grief over the loss of the sports icon, Vanessa has understandably remained out of the public eye, but today, she took to Instagram once again to share a touching tribute to Kobe, complete with a personal anecdote.
“Miss you so much,” Vanessa captioned an image of Kobe grinning from ear to ear. “Miss you saying “Bonjourno principessa/reina.” She added the hashtags “#mybestfriend” and “#theBestdaddy” to the post. The Bryants had been together for 21 years, tying the knot two years after they first met in 1991. As a couple, they welcomed four daughters into the world: Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, and Capri.
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She followed up the photo with another post featuring a video of her husband discussing his family with Extra. In the clip, Kobe answered rapid fire questions about his life, telling interviewers without hesitation that Vanessa was his best friend, and that his four daughters called him "Daddy."
Vanessa's simple but poignant show of love is one of many tributes to the athlete. Kobe's close friends in the NBA are honoring him in a big way; the Dallas Mavericks moved to retire the number 24 (the Lakers did so back in 2017), and Lebron James debuted a giant Kobe-inspired tattoo following the news of his passing.
Kobe's wife expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of love from every corner of the earth. "I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved," Vanessa shared on Instagram days after the accident. "We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon."