Tragedy struck the Bryant family last Sunday, when NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were killed in a helicopter crash along with seven others. Following the horrible news, many sent their love and prayers to Kobe's widow, Vanessa Bryant, who is grieving the loss of both her husband and her child. She broke her silence on Wednesday with a heartbreaking tribute host to her late daughter and husband, and to the public eye, Vanessa has been a pillar of strength. On Saturday night, she took to Instagram to share some artwork of Gianna, that shows the late teen playing basketball decked out in purple and yellow while sporting her dad's #24 Lakers jersey.
"Seeing my babygirl smile and happy again with a basketball 🏀 under her arm, wrapped in 💜💛love just warmed my heart," Vanessa wrote, before shouting out the artist, Reina Koyano, behind the piece. "Thank you for this. @_vivalareina thank you!! My Gigi.❤️ #Mambacita." Reina first shared the image on her own Instagram earlier this week with the caption, "Mambacita. #RIP." She then revealed that she would not be selling prints of her artwork out of respect, but would instead be offering a free downloadable wallpaper version for phones.
“I hope this serves as reminders for all of us that life is precious, and the fact that we can wake up to a new day every day is truly a blessing,” she wrote. Vanessa commented on the post, writing,“Thank you! ❤️” to Reina before sharing it to her account. It was revealed on Saturday that Vanessa and her family would be receiving all of the tribute items left in Kobe and Gianna's honour by fans at the Staples Center since their passing.
