While on a nostalgic date, Vanessa Bryant can’t help but think about her late spouse.
On Monday, Kobe Bryant’s wife posted a touching photo to Instagram, reminiscing about their time together 24 years ago. Bryant was a legend with the Los Angeles Lakers.
She captioned the shot with the words “24 years ago… Day 1. #1999 ️ 11/27/99,” a reference to the fact that the photo was taken exactly 24 years ago to the day, which happened to be Kobe’s jersey number during his legendary last season.
Kim Kardashian commented “️,” Alicia Keys wrote “4 ever!!!!! ,” and Lauren London, who lost her partner, Nipsey Hussle, in 2019, commented “.” Several of Vanessa’s celebrity friends expressed their support for the couple in the comments.
Additionally, WNBA standout Sabrina Ioenescu showed her admiration for her long-time mentor and his wife by writing “” beneath the photo.
Additionally, Alex Rodriguez, a legendary player for the New York Yankees, got in on the action by commenting “” on the touching photo of Vanessa and his late friend.
Vanessa often shares nostalgic images of herself and her late husband on Instagram. She is also a mother to Natalia, 20, Bianka, 6, and Capri Kobe, 4, all of whom she had with Kobe.
On this year’s Father’s Day, she paid tribute to him by referring to him as “the very best girl daddy” and posting multiple images of him with their four kids, one of which was the late Gianna, who passed away at the age of thirteen in 2020 along with seven others, including her father.
In remembrance of his 45th birthday, which would have been in August, she shared ten images from their long relationship with him in a tribute post. “My darling, I hope you have a wonderful 45th birthday celebration. You are loved by me forever and ever. The post was captioned with “️ #82378” by her.
She went on to announce later that month that the Los Angeles Lakers would be honoring Kobe’s legacy with the erectiоn of a statue outside the arena.
She made the statement in an Instagram video shared by the team and herself, explaining that Kobe spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. “Playing in the City of Angels has made him feel at home ever since he arrived here and joined the Lakers organization.”
“On behalf of the Lakers, my daughters and me, I am so honored that, right in the center of Los Angeles, in front of the place known as ‘The House That Kobe Built,’ we are going to unveil his statue so that his legacy can be celebrated forever,” according to her.
The statue will be installed on February 8, 2024, and it will be the latest in a line of honors for Lakes icons such as Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jerry West, and Chick Hearn.
Officials from the Lakers and the city of Los Angeles both agreed that Kobe Bryant was a legendary athlete and a legendary figure in LA history. A statement was released by Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss at the time.
“In the heart of our city, where his incredible achievements are celebrated by all, there is no better place to honor Kobe with a statue than here.”
The NBA took note of Kobe’s involvement in the statue’s planning before his deаth over four years ago.
