Kobe Bryant's Kids: Everything We Know About His Four Daughters
Fans were devastated to learn NBA legend and former Lakers star Kobe Bryant died at age 41 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. on Jan. 26, 2020. Kobe was reportedly enroute to Mamba Sports Academy for his 13-year-old daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant's basketball game. She died alongside her father in the crash that also took the lives of seven other people, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirmed to reporters at a news conference.
"[Kobe] will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "He was generous with the wisdom he acquired and saw it as his mission to share it with future generations of players, taking special delight in passing down his love of the game to Gianna."
At the time of this writing, the cause of the crash is undetermined. Other victims of the crash include Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli; his wife, Keri; and their daughter, Alyssa. The names of the other passengers have not been revealed at this time.
Kobe, who retired from professional basketball in 2016, leaves behind his wife, Vanessa Bryant, and three other daughters: Natalia Bryant, 17, Bianka Bryant, 3, and Capri Bryant, 7 months. Here's everything we know about the athlete's beloved daughters as we sort out this tragic event.
Gianna Bryant was an aspiring basketball star
Kobe Bryant retired from professional basketball in 2016, but he passed on his love for the game to his daughter, Giana "Gigi" Bryant. According to CNN, he coached Gigi's basketball team, and there are lots of videos online of the aspiring athlete effortlessly scoring over her opponents.
Kobe's second-eldest was interested in playing basketball at the collegiate level, as revealed in a video uploaded to Twitter by sports columnist Arash Markazi. The clip shows Kobe telling NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller that Gigi is "hellbent" on attending the University of Connecticut. It's possible the talented teenager was interested in attending the college because it's the alma mater of two WNBA stars: Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore. Kobe joked that Gigi's college pick wasn't ideal because her "momma [doesn't] want her to go that far."
Tragically, fans will never get to see what Gigi would have accomplished on and off the court, but it's clear her famous dad believed women should have the opportunity to play alongside men, telling CNN in January 2020, "There's a lot of players with a lot of skill that could do it."
Kobe Bryant's eldest daughter is very talented
Athleticism runs in the family, as evidenced in the success of Kobe Bryant's oldest daughter, Natalia Bryant. The high school senior is an accomplished volleyball player, and she has spoken to various news outlets about her love for the sport. "It's my favorite part of the game," Natalia said about clinching a victory in the last quarter, according to the Daily Pilot. "It's something that I always look forward to, that really tense moment where it's really close. I just love that exhilaration. It's really fun."
Natalia turned 17 on Jan. 19, 2020, a milestone Kobe marked with a heartfelt message on Instagram. "Happy Birthday my baby," he captioned a shot of the teenager clad in a red dress. "I love you beyond measure. You will always be my little Principessa." The dad was also fond of comparing Natalia's looks to that of her mom, Vanessa Bryant, calling them "twins" in June 2018.
Kobe Bryant adored his daughters
Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa Bryant, gave birth to their fourth daughter, Capri, in June 2019. Kobe admitted that Vanessa was rooting for a boy more than he was, telling late night Jimmy Kimmel in September 2019, "I love having girls. Like, I love it. They're awesome." Little Capri joined the couple's third-eldest daughter, Bianka, who was born in 2016.
Not only did Kobe share tons of photos of his girls on Instagram, but he also wasn't shy about gushing over them in interviews. "My friends say, 'It takes a real man to make a boy,'" the athlete discussed with ExtraTV in July 2017. "I'm like, 'Dude, it takes a king to make a princess ... get in line." He added, "It's pretty cool for me 'cause it's Daddy's little princesses."
The devoted husband and dad had a sense of humor when chatting about his daughters' contrasting personalities. "I always say if you look at the eldest daughter, she's always like the calm, responsible, thoughtful one, and then the second sister is like a tornado, like Elsa and Anna," he quipped to Kimmel. "That's certainly like our house, and then we have two other ones."