Gianna Bryant, daughter of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, was on her way to become the heir of Kobe’s basketball career when her life took a drastic turn on Sunday. A prodigious talent, Gianna hoped to become an NBA legend like her father. Even her father was confident that she could fill up his shoes.
Gianna was a passionate basketball player and Kobe made sure that he supports her any way he can. He also made sure to be involved in her development by coaching her school's basketball team after his retirement from NBA in 2016. Often they used to attend basketball games together.
Kobe also backed Gianna to become the heir to his legacy. Talking on ABC’s show, ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’, in 2018, he said, “The best thing that happens is when we go out and fans would come up to me and she'll be standing next to me," Bryant said, "and they'll be like, 'You've gotta have a boy, you and V gotta have a boy. You gotta have somebody to carry on your tradition, the legacy."
"She's like, 'Oy, I got this, ‘I'm like that's right. Yes, you do, you got this," he added.
Kobe also shared several photos of the two of them, training and playing basketball.
Recently, a video of them had also gone viral where both of them talked about the game and Kobe was imparting advice to Gianna on the game.
Often, she was seen wearing a jersey with the number 2 and the name ‘Mamba’ (one-half of her father’s alter-ego, ‘Black Mamba’) written on the back and the front of the jersey.
Ever since his retirement in 2016, Kobe had coached his daughter’s middle school team. The duo was on their way to Gianna’s basketball match in a local youth tournament when the unfortunate crash occurred.
The tragic helicopter accident also claimed the lives of seven other people, including Orange Coast College head baseball coach, John Altobelli, his wife Kerri and his daughter Alyssa, who was Gianna’s basketball teammate. Also confirmed dead were Christina Mauser, assistant girls basketball coach, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton, who also was Gianna’s teammate, and Ara Zobayan, the pilot of the helicopter.
