Vanessa Bryant marked what would have been her late husband Kobe Bryant's 48th birthday on Sunday with a touching tribute shared across social media. The socialite posted a sentimental photo of the NBA icon sitting on her lap in a lawn chair, with the caption, "Happy birthday, baby. I love you so much."
Kobe Bryant and their daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in 2020. Bryant was 41 and Gianna was 13 at the time of the accident.
Their eldest daughter, Natalia, also paid homage to her father on her Instagram story. The 23-year-old shared a childhood picture of herself with Kobe, writing, "Happy birthday Daddy."
The couple also have two younger daughters, Bianka, 9, and Capri, 7.
Kobe and Vanessa Bryant were married for 19 years. Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce in 2011 but withdrew the documents in 2013.
In 2023, Vanessa Bryant and her daughters were awarded a $28.8 million settlement from Los Angeles County following a trial concerning the invasion of privacy after eight sheriff's deputies took and shared unauthorized photos from the crash site.
The Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation continued Kobe Bryant's legacy by gifting onesies and other items to newborn patients at the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Court at Hoag Hospital Newport Beach. The gifts included a message reflecting Kobe and Gianna's belief that "with love, hard work and courage, anything is possible."
Vanessa Bryant also attended the Mamba Invitational, a high school basketball showcase held in Los Angeles.
The NBA honored the basketball star with a posthumous birthday tribute, sharing a portrait captioned, "Remembering Kobe 8.23.78."
Numerous former NBA players and sports figures also shared their memories and birthday wishes. Pau Gasol, a former teammate, tweeted a video of Kobe, expressing "unconditional and eternal love" and stating, "miss you." Caron Butler posted a birthday cake image with the caption, "Happy birthday Bean…" Magic Johnson also extended birthday wishes, tweeting, "I want to wish a happy heavenly birthday to Kobe Bryant!"
The Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant's longtime team, posted two tweets in his honor, reflecting on his impact: "Leave the game better than you found it. And when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend."
