Vanessa Bryant Celebrates Late Daughter Gianna’s 15th Birthday with Charitable Collection
Kobe and Vanessa Bryant’s second child, Gianna Bryant, would have turned 15 years old.
Gianna, who often went by Gigi, was killed last January in a helicopter crash along with her father and seven others. Since then, her mother and three sisters, along with scores of others, have worked to keep the teen basketball player’s legacy alive.
To mark what would have been her 15th birthday, her mom shared a photo of the two hugging and wearing sunglasses.
“Dear Gianna, Happy 15th Birthday,” she wrote. “I love you! I miss you every day! I wish you were here with us. There are no words to express how much I miss you. I love you Mamacita!”
The basketball star’s wife of nearly 19 years then posted a photo of herself and daughters Natalia, Capri and Bianka all in matching sweat suits and pink sneakers.
“When I thought about how best to celebrate Gianna’s birthday with so many who loved her, I knew it had to be a combination of sharing her bright and fun personality with her sense of purpose and passion that would help make a difference in this world,” she explained.
“Gianna was kind, energetic, a leader, and had so much MAMBACITA swag. When I thought about who would help me capture her laid back yet girly-edge, I thought of female-owned @DANNIJO. Two fun-loving sisters running a successful clothing line, they jumped on the opportunity to celebrate Gigi’s birthday with us, completely pro-bono.”
Bryant continued to explain that in honor of Gigi, they were launching a limited-edition MAMBACITA x DANNIJO tie-dye sweat set honoring her, featuring #PlayGigisWay on the right arm of the hoodie (her basketball shooting arm) and her number, #2, wrapped in a heart to symbolize her love for basketball and everyone she met.
“It also represents the way we will forever hold Gianna in our hearts,” she wrote on an Instagram story.
100% of the proceeds will support the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, an organization that aims to create a positive impact for underserved athletes and young women in sports.
“Gigi was especially motivated to change the way everyone viewed women in sports, and it’s fitting that this capsule represents her values,” Bryant explained.
The collection has gotten support already from people like singer Becky G, Courtney Lopez, WNBA star Candace Parker and Asst. Coach of Miami Heat, Caron Butler.
