On January 26th, 2020, Fans were devastated to learn NBA legend and former Lakers star
Kobe Bryant died at age 41 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
Kobe was reportedly enroute to Mamba Sports Academy for his 13-year-old daughter Gianna
"Gigi" Bryant's basketball game.
Tragically, she died alongside her father in the crash that also took the lives of seven
other people, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirmed to reporters at a news conference.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement,
"[Kobe] will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball
and compete to the very best of their ability.
He was generous with the wisdom he acquired and saw it as his mission to share it with
future generations of players, taking special delight in passing down his love of the game
to Gianna."
Other victims of the crash include Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli;
his wife, Keri; and their daughter, Alyssa, who was Gigi's teammate.
Also reportedly on board was another young basketball player, Payton Chester, along with
her mother, Sarah.
Kobe, who retired from professional basketball in 2016, leaves behind his wife, Vanessa Bryant,
and three other daughters: Natalia Bryant, 17, Bianka Bryant, 3, and Capri Bryant, 7
months.
Here's everything we know about the athlete's beloved daughters as we sort out this tragic
event.
Kobe Bryant had retired from professional basketball, but his love for the game was
shared by his daughter, Giana "Gigi" Bryant.
According to CNN, he coached Gigi's basketball team, and there are lots of videos online
of the aspiring athlete effortlessly scoring dunks over her opponents.
Kobe's second-eldest was interested in playing basketball at the collegiate level, with Bryant
revealing in a conversation with fellow basketball legend Reggie Miller that she was, quote,
"hellbent" on attending the University of Connecticut.
Which is no surprise: the UConn Huskies have won the NCAA National Championship 11 times
in the past 25 years.
Like her father, Gigi was determined to be a winner.
Tragically, fans will never get to see what Gigi would have accomplished on and off the
court, but it's clear her famous dad believed women should have the opportunity to play
alongside men.
Just a week before he passed, Bryant told CNN,
"I think there are a couple players that could play in the NBA right now, honestly.
I mean, there's a lot of players that have a lot of skill that could do it.
Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Elena Delle Donne."
Athleticism runs in the family, as evidenced in the success of Kobe Bryant's oldest daughter,
Natalia Bryant.
The high school senior is an accomplished volleyball player, and she has spoken to various
news outlets about her love for the sport.
She told the Daily Pilot,
"It's my favorite part of the game.
It's something that I always look forward to, that really tense moment where it's really
close.
I just love that exhilaration.
It's really fun."
Natalia turned 17 on January 19th, 2020, a milestone Kobe marked with a heartfelt message
on Instagram, writing
"Happy Birthday my baby.
I love you beyond measure.
You will always be my little Principessa."
The dad was also fond of comparing Natalia's looks to that of her mom, Vanessa Bryant,
calling them "twins" in June 2018.
Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa Bryant, gave birth to their third daughter, Bianka, in 2016,
and their fourth daughter, Capri, in June 2019.
Kobe admitted that Vanessa was rooting for a boy more than he was, telling late night
talk show host Jimmy Kimmel in September 2019,
"I love having girls"
"It suits you!"
"I love it.
Yeah, they're awesome, man!"
Not only did Kobe share tons of photos of his girls on Instagram, but he also wasn't
shy about gushing over them in interviews.
In 2017, he told ExtraTV,
"My friends say, 'It takes a real man to make a boy.'
I'm like, 'Dude, it takes a king to make a princess... get in line."
"It's pretty cool for me 'cause it's Daddy's little princesses."
The devoted husband and dad had a sense of humor when chatting about his daughters' contrasting
personalities.
He told Kimmel,
"I always say if you look at the eldest daughter, she's always like the calm, responsible, thoughtful
one, and then the second sister is like a tornado, like Elsa and Anna.
That's certainly like our house, and then we have two other ones."
Rest in peace, Kobe and Gigi.
You will be missed.