Published: May 5, 2024 2:44 PM PDT
Vanessa Bryant In honor of her kobe bryantthe late daughter of Gianna “Gigi” BryantMake your milestone 18th birthday special!
On Saturday, Vanessa hosted a special basketball camp through the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. The foundation honors Gigi and Kobe's mission and legacy of creating sports opportunities for boys and girls in underserved communities.
Vanessa shared a series of videos from camp at the Lakers' training facility. 100 boys and girls participated in the camp, where they practiced wearing Gianna's basketball number (2) and had the opportunity to meet Vanessa and her daughters. Natalia, Bianka and Capri.
“In honor of Gianna's 18th birthday, we are hosting a special @MambaMambacitaSports Skills Academy basketball camp with @nikela, @lakers and @uscwbb to bring our daughter's PLAY GIGI'S WAY™ spirit to local LA community organizations “Shared with all the boys and girls in the world,” she captioned it.Instagram Video shared on Saturday. “Like Gigi, we loved watching their passion for basketball, never taking any opportunity for granted, and embracing joy, curiosity, and competitiveness. #PlayGigisWay❤️ #HappyBirthdayGigi # 18 5-1-06.
somewhere else Video montage of the eventThe mother of four wrote, “Today, in honor of Gigi's 18th birthday, we gathered over 100 boys and girls from @bgcofwhittier, @wsgvbgc, and @bgclaharbor to make memories at the @Lakers facility. Participated in the remaining @MambaMambacita Sports Skills Academy basketball camp.” . ”
She added, “Thank you to our dedicated partners @nikeLA, @uscwbb, and all the coaches who made this day special 🦋 #GiannaBryant #MAMBACITA #PlayGigisWay❤️#2 🖤🤍” Ta.
In the clip, Vanessa also shared a special message for young athletes.
“We're here to celebrate Gigi's 18th birthday, so we're excited to see you all here to play with joy and curiosity like she always did.” I’m so glad I did it,” she said.
Attendees received basketballs and the latest sneakers from Gianna's collection with Nike, the Kobe 8 Mambacita.
The official Mamba and Mambacita organizations also shared videos from the day with the young athletes.
Gianna's 18th birthday would have been May 1st. Vanessa shared an emotional post to her daughter on Instagram And highlights the milestones she will mark this year.
“Happy birthday to my gorgeous girl, Gigi! I love you. I miss you. I'm so proud of you. 2024 was your year. You graduated high school and… I would have chosen which college to go to (I would have tried so hard to convince you to stay closer to home),'' she wrote. “I'm so proud of the changes you and your dad have worked so hard to make in the sport. You motivate me and continue to inspire young women and girls every day. Love you always, mom ❤️ #PlayGigisWay #MambacitaForever.
Gianna was 13 years old When she passed away along with her father Kobea helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, killed six other passengers and the pilot.
After the death of her husband and daughter, Vanessa continues to keep their legacy alive through her nonprofit organization. During February, Vanessa and her three daughters attended the unveiling of the Kobe statue in the Crypto.com areaThis marks her first return to the venue since his and Gianna's memorial service.
“Needless to say, this is a particularly sad day for us…I want to thank everyone for coming out and showing their love for Kobe and our family,” Vanessa said at the end of the ceremony. “This moment is not just for Kobe, but for all of you who have supported him over the years.”
During February, ET spoke to Vanessa's best friend Kelly Rowland.admired her strength and resilience.
“Vanessa is one of the strongest women I know,” Rowland told ET, adding that the event was “a beautiful space.” [and] It was a beautiful time. ”
“It's been such a blessing to be a part of this space, listening to so many people who love him. He continues to inspire me. Just talking about Kobe… [the] To be able to give back to the Mamba spirit and to many generations to come. I feel like I'm his legacy. ” she added.
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