The majority of the people in the country are still a shock of the NBA superstar Kobe Bryant’s helicopter crash in California and what even made it sadder is that his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, was with him.
These two, with seven others, were on their way too eh Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks for a game of basketball.
Bryant was going to coach her team, according to the team director.
This was not a surprise because Gianna, the second of Bryant’s children with Vanessa Laine Bryant, was into basketball, and she was supposed to be the heir.
He was always supportive of her when it comes to the development of basketball and even coached her team. Oftentimes, he would share some video clips of them playing on his Instagram or Twitter.
Gianna Bryant had dreams of becoming a WNBA player to be in the UConn Huskies. She was with the Mamba Academy Ballers. She was in middle school in Los Angeles, California, and was the only one who showed a passion for basketball among the rest of the daughters.
During an interview, Bryant 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, 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.” He continued, “She’s like, ‘Oy, I got this. “I’m like that’s right,” Bryant said. “Yes, you do, you got this.”
Gianna, or as called by her friends and family, Gigi, was competitive like her father. He talked about a boardgame of Candyland, and they played together when she was three years old. “You know, it’s my move,” he recalled. “She obviously can see that I can win, so she’ll know that I’m not winning on purpose. Then what’s that teaching?” Bryant made that move and he won. His daughter didn’t take it lightly and knocked the board over, and he continued, “I was, like, ‘S**t, the kid’s like me.”
Gianna always wanted to follow his father. The NBA noticed how much determination he gives to her. He would take time to coach her daughter’s team and talk about certain situations. He often would send videos of Gianna’s basketball team to Laker’s general manager Rob Pelinka, a godfather of Gianna. There was a trending video of her in 2019 showcasing Gianna’s basketball highlights with the moves she learned from her father.
According to Sparks coach Derek Fisher, said that father-daughter tandem “have similar demeanor and personality”.
On the morning of the crash, Gianna and her team were supposed to play against Fresno Lady Heat for an Amateur Athletic Union tournament. That game was canceled because of the crash, according to Fresno Team coach< Demetrius Porter. He said during the interview, “We walked into the gym and everyone was on their knees and praying. “(My girls) were crying and in disbelief. They were excited to play against Kobe Bryant’s daughter and take a picture with him, and this tragic event happened.”
Read More: Kobe Bryant News: Crash Investigation – What Is Known So Far
