Vanessa Bryant Pays Tribute to Late Daughter Gianna on Her 18th Birthday

On what would have been Gianna Bryant’s 18th birthday, her mother, Vanessa Bryant, honored her in a heartfelt Instagram post.

“Happy birthday to my gorgeous girl, Gigi! I love you. I miss you. I’m so proud of you,” Vanessa, 41, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, May 1.

Vanessa shared a reel of her late daughter that showed Gianna through the years on the court, watching her dad play and having fun with friends and family.

“2024 was your year,” Vanessa’s caption continued. “You would’ve been graduating high school and choosing which college to go to. (I would’ve been trying my hardest to convince you to stay close to home).”

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Gianna and eight others, including her father, basketball legend Kobe Bryant, died in a helicopter crash in California on January 26, 2020. Gianna was 13 at the time.

Gianna had dreams of playing college basketball, with Kobe saying she was “hell-bent” on going to the University of Connecticut. The Huskies are coached by Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma, who developed a friendship with Kobe as the ex-Laker began coaching Gianna.

“I’m proud of the change in sports you and daddy worked so hard on,” Vanessa continued on Wednesday. “You continue to motivate me and inspire young women and girls daily. I love you always, mommy.”

In the years after Kobe retired from the NBA in 2016, he became an advocate for women’s sports. He and Gianna were often seen on the sidelines of college and professional games. After their deaths, Vanessa began leading the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation in their honor to help underserved young athletes.

Nike honored Gianna’s birthday by launching the Kobe 8 Protro ‘Mambacita’ on Wednesday.

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“On 5.1 we celebrate Gianna ‘Gigi’ Bryant’s 18th birthday and the transformational impact she had on highlighting women’s sports with the release of the Kobe 8 Protro ‘Mambacita’ ,” read the brand’s caption on Monday, April 29.

Profits from the shoe will benefit the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation.

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, who saw Kobe as a friend and mentor during her college days, shared a photo of the sneakers via her Instagram Story, adding “Happy birthday Gigi Thank you! @VanessaBryant.”

Ionescu, 26, and Auriemma, 70, both spoke at a public memorial service in Los Angeles for Kobe and Gianna on February 24, 2020. That same night, Ionescu returned home to Oregon where she tied her own single-season NCAA triple-double record.

JuJu Watkins, Caron Butler and Trae Young were among the current and former players to comment on Vanessa’s post. Viola Davis, George Lopez, Kris Jenner and other celebrities followed suit.