Vanessa Bryant is honoring her late daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant, on what would have been the teen's 18th birthday. Gigi died four years ago along with her dad, Kobe Bryant, in a helicopter crash. Vanessa shared an emotional video on Instagram that shows Gigi over the years, including candid family moments with her mom and sisters, as well as videos of her and her dad playing basketball.
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"Happy birthday to my gorgeous girl, Gigi! I love you. I miss you. I’m so proud of you," Vanessa began the caption. "2024 was your year. You would’ve been graduating high school and choosing which college to go to. (I would’ve been trying my hardest to convince you to stay close to home.) I’m proud of the change in sports you and daddy worked so hard on. You continue to motivate me and inspire young women and girls daily. I love you always, mommy."
The comments were full of love for both Gigi and Vanessa, with many people taking the time to share a little something.
"Beautiful!! Happy birthday Gigi❤️," actress Viola Davis wrote.
"Happy Birthday Gigi! ," singer Ciara commented.
WNBA player Sabrina Ionescu wrote, "Happy birthday GiGi love you."
Beach volleyball Olympian Kerri Walsh Jennings wrote, "A beautiful and enduring legacy full of so much love and so much . "
The day before Gigi's birthday, Vanessa took to Instagram to share that Nike had created a new sneaker design in honor of her daughter.
"❤️Gianna❤️Gigi❤️MAMBACITA ❤️ 5/1/06 ❤️," she captioned the post.
The post was full of pictures of Nike's new Kobe 8 design, "Mambacita," which was Gigi's nickname.
The "Mambacita" design features a black, white, and gold colorway and is covered in butterflies. Vanessa also shared Nike's Instagram reel featuring the shoe surrounded by butterflies.
"Gigi changed the game. Forever. On 5.1 we celebrate Gianna 'Gigi' Bryant’s 18th birthday and the transformational impact she had on highlighting women’s sports with the release of the Kobe 8 Protro ‘Mambacita’ ," Vanessa wrote, adding that profits from the shoe will benefit the Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit supporting underserved child athletes.
