Both Vaness Bryant and Natalia Bryant posted touching tributes to Gianna “Gigi” Bryant on Saturday, marking her 16th birthday.
Vanessa posted an animated video that she narrated to pay tribute to her late daughter. The video was done in the style of her husband Kobe Bryant’s animated short Dear Basketball.
“Dear Gianna, from the first time you imagined winning a WNBA championship, I knew one thing was real — you were special,” she narrated. “You came from greatness, but it was never about what you inherited. It was about what you gave to others.”
Vanessa added, “When someone stands up for gender equality, I see you standing up alongside them. And every time someone plays her hardest, I know that’s you on the court. Love you always, basketball.”
Natalia Bryant posted her own tribute to her little sister. She posted a photo of her kissing a young Gigi’s cheek.
“Happy sweet sixteen my dearest gigi♥️I love you to the moon and back 🌙forever & always,” she captioned the post.
Kobe and Gigi passed away in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, in California. Seven other people were also killed in the accident. The group was on its way to a girl’s basketball tournament when the plane went down amid foggy weather conditions. Federal safety officials cited pilot error as the cause of the tragic crash.
