Kobe and Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, two victims who passed away in the horrific helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 were beloved not only by their close family and friends, but by the rest of the world. Kobe Bryant , 41 years of age, was a professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years of his life. Bryant (who played as numbers 8 & 24 during his career) retired in 2016 and although he was closing that chapter of his life, the most important thing to him was family. Bryant was a “girl dad” and adored his four girls and wife dearly.
Although every parent has their favorite child, Bryant adored all his girls equally and made it known how blessed he was to be surrounded by and raise strong, independent women, one of them being Gigi, 13. Gigi was a daddy’s girl, spending most of her time watching her father pursue and excel at his passion of basketball. Gigi, “Mambacita”, was a humble, caring, and intelligent young woman who shared her father’s passion for basketball. Gigi was not only a rising star on her middle school basketball team, but also at her father’s Mamba Academy. Not only was she one of the best players her coaches have seen, but she also dedicated her time to being a member of her 7th grade student council.
Gigi’s hard work and constant dedication was something she wanted to continue as a member of the UConn Women’s Basketball team. The Lady Huskies paid tribute to her and her father in the U.S.A. vs. UConn basketball game, where they honored her as a member of the team with her very own jersey, Gigi played as #2, and a bouquet of flowers. Anyone and everyone who saw that game was heartbroken. At the end of the game it did not matter who won. The main purpose of the night was to celebrate the lives that Gigi and Kobe lived. Players from UConn’s team and the WNBA came together in an emotional huddle at the end of the game, shining a light on the legacy that Kobe lived and imagining the amazing player and addition Gigi would have been to the team.
Gigi will always be a husky in our eyes. We love and miss you Mambacita.
