While the city of Los Angeles and late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant will forever be linked, Bryant’s journey toward the NBA actually began in the city of Philadelphia.
Bryant was born in Philadelphia on Aug. 23, 1978. He played high school basketball at Lower Merion High School in the suburbs of Philly.
Due to that deep history, it’s no surprise that a beautiful tribute honoring Bryant and his daughter Gianna was recently unveiled in Philadelphia.
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The elder Bryant’s widow Vanessa took to social media to show gratitude for the incredible tribute.
As Lakers fans all over the world know, Kobe Bryant and his daughter tragically lost their lives back on Jan. 26, 2020. The world was shocked when the two were among nine individuals who died in a helicopter crash in Southern California.
The NBA and its players were in total shock at the time. Heartbreaking images of players tearing up on courts all over the league surfaced. Vanessa Bryant and her family were, understandably, hit the hardest by the situation.
Vanessa Bryant has been very open about the grief that she has felt since the loss of her two family members. While it is still utterly tragic, it is wonderful to see that she is now able to celebrate the memories of her late husband and daughter.
While Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant are gone, their memories will live on through countless fans that live all over the world. Surely, Vanessa Bryant does get some comfort from that fact.