Vanessa Bryant shared a message and heartwarming photo Saturday, one of many in tribute to Kobe Bryant on his birthday.
Bryant, a mother to four daughters and head of the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, shared a photo with her planting a kiss on her husband’s cheek.
“We love and miss you and Gigi so much,” Bryant said in her post. “Sending our love to you. Happy birthday, baby.”
Magic Johnson remembered Bryant, born Aug. 23, 1978, with a photo of the two smiling Lakers greats.
“Remembering husband, girl dad, entrepreneur, friend, five-time champion, and one of the greatest to ever lace them up, Kobe Bryant on his birthday,” Johnson said.
The Lakers shared a post simply captioned, “Mamba Forever.” The post featured a backlit photo of Bryant’s statue outside Crypto.com Arena.
The 19-foot bronze memorial depicts Bryant in his No. 8 jersey celebrating his virtuoso 81-point performance against Toronto. Both of Bryant’s uniform numbers — 8 and 24 — were retired by the Lakers in 2017, the year after his retirement after 20 NBA season, all with the Lakers. He is the first NBA player with two numbers retired by the same team.
Bryant is the franchise leader in games (1,346), minutes played (48,637), field goals (11,719) and 3-point baskets (1,827), among numerous team records.
Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gigi were among nine people killed in a January 2020 helicopter crash northwest of Los Angeles.
The City of Los Angeles officially declared Aug. 24 as Kobe Bryant Day in 2016.
Allison Craig is a passionate sports writer and analyst with a deep love for game strategies, player performances, and the latest trends in the sports world. With years of experience covering football, basketball, tennis, and more, she delivers insightful analysis and engaging content for sports enthusiasts.
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