Vanessa Bryant and Kobe Bryant
Emma McIntyre/Getty ImagesVanessa Bryant published a heartfelt tribute to her late husband, Kobe Bryanton which he would have celebrated his 46th birthday.
Vanessa celebrated this special day on Friday, August 23, with an Instagram post in which she shared a sweet throwback photo of herself kissing Kobe on the cheek.
“Happy birthday @kobebryant,” Vanessa, 43, wrote in the caption. “I love you now, forever and always.”
It has been more than four years since the NBA star and the couple’s 13-year-old daughter, Giannadied tragically.
Gone too soon. Kobe Bryant died on January 26, 2020 at the age of 41, but left behind a great legacy. The NBA star and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna died in a fiery helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The Los Angeles County Sheriff confirmed that nine people were on board the helicopter that (…)
Kobe and Gianna died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, which also killed seven other people.
Vanessa and Kobe, who married in 2001, also had daughters Natalia21, Bianca7 and capri5.
The honor comes after Vanessa unveiled a new Olympic logo in honor of her husband at the upcoming LA 2028 Games.
Vanessa put a new spin on the original design, changing the letter “A” to a purple and yellow snakeskin design with Kobe’s Mamba logo in the center.
“Kobe was the ultimate athlete and he took his role as an Olympian very seriously,” Vanessa explained in the announcement video shared on Monday, August 12. “He was so proud to represent our country and he considered his two gold medals part of his proudest professional accomplishments. His devotion to the sport went beyond basketball. As a spectator, he especially loved being there for his fellow athletes and watching competition at the highest level in the world.”
An everlasting love. The decades-long romance between Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant came to a tragic end when the NBA legend passed away on January 26, 2020. Despite the heartbreaking end to their relationship, their romance was marked by many highs over the years. The love between Kobe and Vanessa began not long after the duo first met in November (…)
Vanessa said she and her family have fond memories of watching the Olympics on television together and cheering on Kobe and other U.S. team athletes at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics.
“And of course, our family loves Los Angeles. When Kobe was asked if he would support the effort to bring the Games to LA, he immediately said ‘yes,'” she added. “Kobe was a major proponent of bringing the Games to Los Angeles.”
Vanessa cited her husband’s “passion for the city, all the love the people of Los Angeles have shown our family, and all our beautiful memories here” as part of her inspiration in designing the emblem.
“We hope this inspires the Mamba mentality in every aspiring Olympian and Paralympian,” she said. “We are so proud to have this emblem represent the Los Angeles Games. I know Kobe would be so proud to host the Games in this great city.”
Since his death, Vanessa has paid tribute to Kobe on important dates, including the 23rd anniversary of her death.
To celebrate this milestone, she shared a collage of four old photos of herself and Kobe on our date night on Instagram in April.
“Happy anniversary @kobebryant ❤️ #23,” Vanessa wrote alongside the post.
