Vanessa Bryant shared a heartfelt message and loving photo of herself and her late husband, Kobe Bryant, on what would have been the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s 47th birthday.
Kobe was among nine people that tragically died alongside he and Vanessa’s daughter, Gigi, in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
Vanessa, mother to four of Kobe’s daughters and head of the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, posted to Instagram on Aug. 23.
“We love and miss you and Gigi so much,” Vanessa wrote. “Sending our love to you. Happy birthday, baby.”
The post nearly reached one million likes in about five hours, with many commenting on the post, including Lebron James, David Beckham, Matt Barnes and Kris Jenner.
GettyTOPSHOT – US filmmaker and basketball player Kobe Bryant (R) holds an Oscar beside his wife Vanessa Laine Bryant during the 90th Annual Academy Awards on March 4, 2018, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Others Post Messages on Kobe Bryant’s 47th Birthday
Lakers legend Magic Johnson posted to X on Aug. 23 with a photo of himself and Kobe smiling.
“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 wrote.
The Lakers also shared multiple messages to social media. “Mamba Forever,” the teams’ caption read, alongside a backlit photo of Kobe’s statue outside the Crypto.com Arena.
The 19-foot bronze statue was added last year and depicts Kobe in his No. 8 jersey celebrating his iconic 81-point performance against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006.
Both of Kobe’s uniform numbers — 8 and 24 — were retired by the Lakers in 2017, a year after his retirement following 20 NBA seasons, all with the Lakers. He is the first NBA player with two numbers retired by the same team.
Kobe Bryant’s NBA Career Began in 1996 and He Finished as One of the Greatest of All-Time
Kobe, the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, was born in Philadelphia but was partly raised in Italy. The top player in high school, Kobe was selected in the 1996 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick and then was traded to the Lakers.
Warner Bros. Pictures recently acquired the rights for a movie that will depict the dramatic true story of the Lakers acquiring Kobe, who almost was selected by the then-New Jersey Nets with the eighth pick. The movie is tentatively titled “With the 8th Pick?”
Kobe’s fortunes in the league improved when Phil Jackson became head coach of the Lakers in 1999. Alongside, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe would three-peat with the Lakers from 2000-02.
After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat and Kobe became the face of the franchise. Alongside NBA great Pau Gasol, Kobe added two more championships in 2009 and 2010 and was NBA Finals MVP both times.
GettyORLANDO, FL – JUNE 14: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers holds up the Larry O’Brien trophy and the Bill Russell MVP trophy after the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-86 in Game Five of the 2009 NBA Finals on June 14, 2009 at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
In the final years of his career, Kobe dealt with injuries, including a torn Achilles tendon, but he capped off his illustrious career with a 60-point performance in his final NBA game against the Utah Jazz.
Kobe finished his career as 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.
Kobe won two gold medals as part of the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams. After his career, he turned to filmmaking and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for “Dear Basketball.”
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