Photo: Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty
Vanessa Bryantis celebrating the NBA accomplishments of her late husband,Kobe Bryant.
On Saturday, Vanessa, 39, shared aphotofrom Kobe’s historic 81-point game with the Los Angeles Lakers. In the sweet throwback, Kobe gave his wife a kiss while carrying their eldest daughter Natalia.
“81. ❤️❤️” Vanessa simply captioned the post before Natalia commented with several heart emojis.
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Kobe Bryant in March 2007.Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
Though he was on the court for just under 42 minutes, the athlete accounted for 66 percent of the Lakers' 122 points and added six rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block during the legendary game.
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“You’re sitting and watching, and it’s like a miracle unfolding in front of your eyes and you can’t accept it,” then-team ownerJerry Buss said of the performance.
On Jan. 26 2020, Vanessa lost both her husband and her teenage daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash that also took the lives ofSarah and Payton Chester,Christina Mauser,John Altobelli, his wifeKeri Altobelli, their daughter, Alyssa Altobelli and pilotAra Zobayan. Kobe was 41 and Gianna was 13 at the time of their deaths.
Vanessaopened upabout life after loss in an interview with PEOPLE in March 2021, admitting at the time, “I can’t say that I’m strong every day. I can’t say that there aren’t days when I feel like I can’t survive to the next.”
Ethan Miller/Getty Images; Vanessa Bryant Instagram
“This pain is unimaginable [but] you just have to get up and push forward,” she said. “Lying in bed crying isn’t going to change the fact that my family will never be the same again. But getting out of bed and pushing forward is going to make the day better for my girls and for me. So that’s what I do.”
Last month, Vanessa shared a video of Kobe’sheartfelt speechat his retirement ceremony — during which the Lakers franchise retired his No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys — where the NBA legend called his wife an “inspiration” throughout his career before discussing fatherhood to his daughters.
In May, Vanessa alsocelebratedwhat would have been Gianna’s 15th birthday. She shared an old photo of herself and her late daughter onInstagram, writing in the caption, “Dear Gianna, Happy 15th Birthday! ❤️😘I love you!”
“I miss you everyday! I wish you were here with us,” she added. “There are no words to express how much I miss you. I love you Mamacita!”
source: people.com
