featured-image

Vanessa Bryant commemorated the fourth Father's Day since the death of her husband, , with an to the icon Sunday. Kobe was killed during a plane crash over Calabasas, , on January 26, 2020 that also claimed the life of their 13-year-old daughter Gianna. "Happy Father’s Day to the best daddy @kobebryant," Bryant captioned a photo of her late husband with their daughters.

The post has since garnered nearly 1.5 million followers and supportive comments from Kobe's former team, the , along with NBA star . Hailing from Philadelphia, Kobe emerged as a high-school phenom at Lower Merion and entered directly into the 1996 NBA Draft.



The 6'5 shooting guard was selected 13th overall and traded the Lakers as he quickly forged a historic 20-year NBA career entirely in Tinseltown, partnering with to form one of the most dominant teams in league history. But even after the pair's unceremonious breakup, Kobe continued to lead his storied franchise to excellence, scooping up the 2007-08 MVP award before overcoming and to win consecutive NBA championships the next two seasons. Kobe retired in 2016 as a five-time Finals winner, earning 18 All-Star appearances and currently ranking fourth in scoring.

Off the court, Kobe Bryant considered himself similarly blessed to raise four daughters. Despite his basketball celebrity and numerous passion projects — the "Black Mamba" also won a 2018 Academy Award for his short film "Dear Basketball" — he was similarly diligent as a father in the eyes of.

Back to Beauty Page