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By Veronica Mackey
It has been 5 years since the tragic loss of retired Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. They were tragically killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on January 26, 2020. He was 41, she was 13.
The five-time NBA champion was a 15-time member of the All-Star NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team. Today, he still leads the Lakers as the oldest player to score the highest number of points and to play in the most games.
What drove Kobe to superstardom can be found in his alter ego known as “Black Mamba.” He recalled that he was initially driven to create this killer snake persona to overcome naysayers and opponents on the court
“I had this pent-up frustration that I just had to let out. (I said) I’m destroying everything on the court.” In 2016, Kobe told ET Online:
“I came up with it during one of our tours. Because I put the kids through so many drills and clinics, and I just thought to myself, ‘Mamba Mentality.’ I actually said it.”
Kobe’s Mamba exterior was tempered by love. The result was a tough, fiercely competitive player with a tender heart who LOVED and literally breathed basketball:
“It was the smell of the ball, the smell of brand-new sneakers, the sound of the ball hitting the ground. Once you have that love, you want to be part of this thing all the time. I was born to play basketball. I played a lot of different sports, but nothing brought me the sense of peace that basketball did.”
Off the court, it was this same passion which drove Kobe to excel at loving his four daughters and encouraging them to be their best. This is the legacy which Kobe was most proud of, says his wife, Vanessa.
Vanessa Bryant
Since Kobe’s death, Vanessa has held her family down while adjusting to life as a single mom. The 42 year-old widow has had her hands full, raising her girls and keeping Kobe’s legacy alive.
There has been lots of speculation about her love life. However, Vanessa has never publicly admitted to being in another relationship since Kobe passed away. After Kobe’s death, former Lakers teammate Paul Gasol became a support to the family, sending gifts and flowers and spending time with the girls. This attention fueled rumors that there was a romantic connection, but that rumor soon died down.
There were ups and downs during the Bryant’s 18-year marriage. In 2011, during a separation, Vanessa was linked to Mexican professional boxer Victor Ortiz. It turned out to be fake news. Ortiz admitted to ESPN that “Mrs. Bryant and I have never met.” The Bryants would have celebrated their 24th anniversary on April 18.
In 2021, Vanessa won a confidential class action lawsuit against Island Express Helicopters, Island Express Holding Corp., and the estate of Ara Zobyan, the pilot who also died in the crash. She joined with families of the other victims as part of the settlement. Nine people were killed that day.
Natalia Bryant
Standing at 5’9” and stunning, Natalia, 22, is a USC film student and professional model. She is the oldest daughter of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant. Recalling her late father, Natalia told Teen Vogue, “I love talking about my dad. It’s bittersweet, but I enjoy talking about him more than it’s sad for me.”
Vanessa called Natasha her “right-hand woman” and praised her for successfully managing college and a modeling career, and still being there for her younger sisters. Sharing her mom’s love of fashion, Natalia signed a modeling contract with IMG models in 2021.
“Ever since I can remember, I wanted to model,” she said in an Instagram post. In 2023, she made her runway modeling debut at the Versace show during Milan Fashion Week. That same year, she interned for Beyonce’s Renaissance World Tour. She appeared on the cover of Town & Country in February 2024.
Kobe’s spirit is alive in Natalia, and was on full display when she graduated from high school. To honor him, she decorated her graduation cap with one of his quotes: “Everything negative—pressure, challenges—is all an opportunity for me to rise.”
Gianna “Gigi” Maria-Onoe Bryant
The second-born of the Bryant children, Gianni or “Gigi” would have been 19 on May 1. She was the budding basketball star with dreams of joining the WNBA. Blessed with her father’s quickness and agility on the court, Gigi was the daughter most like Kobe—his mini-me. He nurtured her basketball dreams by coaching her team at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California.
“It’s been a joy to watch her and to be there everyday for that process,” Kobe said in a video. “Her temperament is a lot like mine. She’s extremely competitive, very fiery, and backs down from no challenge.” Kobe recalled that when someone would suggest he should have a boy to follow in his footsteps, Gigi would tell them, “We don’t need a boy. I got this.”
Gigi was just 13 when she was killed in the crash with her father. They were laid to rest together on Feb. 5, 2020 at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona del Mar, California.
Bianka Bella Bryant
Bianka, now 8, was only 4 years-old when her dad died. On August 25, 2024—two days after her late father’s birthday—she honored him by throwing a ceremonial first pitch to open the Dodgers baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The pitch was impressive and caught by Dodgers great Mookie Betts. Gasol is helping her connect to Kobe by teaching her and younger sister Capri to play basketball.
Capri Kobe Bryant
On New Years Day in 2019, Kobe announced Vanessa was pregnant with their fourth child. “New Year, new Mamba baby,” he wrote in a post. After her birth on June 20, 2019, Kobe told Extra, “She has been our best baby. She sleeps like six hours. She’s an absolute sweetheart.”
The youngest Bryant is in kindergarten, and the spitting image of her dad.
Keeping Memories Alive
In the years following the deaths of Kobe and Gigi, Vanessa has kept their memories alive in many ways. She had a special edition Nike Kobe 8 shoe designed in Gigi’s honor, featuring a black, white and gold butterfly theme. She celebrates milestones like Gigi’s birthday and attended a jersey retirement ceremony at her school.
In August 2024, Vanessa and the girls attended the unveiling of a bronze statue featuring Kobe and Gigi outside the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles. The statue, featuring the father and daughter hugging is titled “Girl Dad.”
Vanessa said her girls have given her the strength to keep going through all the pain. Kobe was proud of his daughters, she said, and proud of being a girl dad.
“My friends say, ‘It takes a real man to make a boy.’ I’m like, ‘Dude, it takes a king to make a princess.’ It’s pretty cool for me ‘cause it’s Daddy’s little princesses,” he said.
On January 7, Nike announced 2025 as the Year of the Mamba, which challenges athletes to choose the hard, uncomfortable path in the year ahead. It has rolled out a new collection of Kobe apparel and footwear, which intertwines the legendary Mamba Mentality with the rich cultural symbolism of Lunar Year 2025 and the Year of the Snake.