Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, the second eldest daughter of Vanessa and Kobe Bryant, was born on May 1, 2006. “Gigi,” as she was often called, was only 13 years old when she died in the same tragic Calabasas, California, helicopter crash that killed her father and seven other people on January 26, 2020. Gigi and her dad were on their way to a basketball game at Kobe’s Mamba Sports Academy when the crash happened. Gigi, like her NBA superstar dad, was a talented basketball player and was scheduled to play in that day’s game. Kobe was attending in his role as coach and also as a proud papa.
More from MamásLatinas: The cutest pics of Vanessa & Kobe Bryant’s oldest daughter, Natalia, through the years
Gigi is survived by her mother and three sisters: Natalia Diamante, Bianka Bella, and Capri Kobe. This May, Gianna would be celebrating her 18th birthay, if it weren’t for the tragic accident that took her life. We can’t even begin to imagine the pain that Vanessa has been through and continues to bear at the loss of her husband and child. Every day must be hard, but birthdays must be particularly trying. Our hearts go out to all of Gianna’s family and friends. Let's all take a moment to pay tribute to and celebrate Gigi’s life with the following pictures.
Such a sweet moment between Natalia and Gigi captured on camera.
This photo was taken on November 3, 2006, as Vanessa sat with Natalia by her side and Gianna on her lap right before a game against the Seattle SuperSonics and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Gigi was around 6 months old at the time and Natalia was around 3 years old. Check out the irresistible cheeks on baby Gigi!
Kobe often had his daughters by his side at press conferences.
This particular image is from a press conference that took place on June 15, 2008, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant, who wore the No. 24 jersey for the Los Angeles Lakers at the time, beamed as he held his daughters next to him after the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics in game five of the 2008 NBA Finals. Gigi looks so serious and businesslike.
She grew up watching her daddy excel at pro basketball.
Kobe took 3-year-old Gigi in his arms and gave her a big kiss after the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in game five of the NBA Finals on June 14, 2009, at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. The way Gigi holds his face between her hands is the sweetest.
We got to see her grow throughout the years.
This photo from June 17, 2010, shows Natalia and Gigi next to Kobe during a post-game press conference. He was celebrating the Lakers defeating the Boston Celtics in game seven of the NBA Finals at Staples Center that year. Natalia and Gigi look so like they could be twins.
Gigi got to attend some pretty awesome events in her lifetime.
On February 19, 2011, Kobe took part in the hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and Vanessa, Natalia, and Gigi were there to witness the honor. The theater is on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the front of the theater is decorated with the handprints, footprints, and signatures of celebrities.
She got to see her sister sell Girl Scout cookies to President Barack Obama.
When Obama was president, Natalia sold him Girl Scout cookies during a family visit to the White House. Check out how Gigi looks slightly terrified as she observes her sister selling cookies to the president of the United States. When Kobe shared this photo, he captioned it: "I will never forget the day our little Natalia sold Girl Scout cookies to @barackobama in the Oval Office."
Here she is at a movie premiere with her mom and sis.
Natalia, Vanessa, and Giana all dressed in white when they attended the Brave movie premiere during the 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival. The premiere was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. Gigi was around 6 years old at the time.
Sitting proudly on her papa's shoulders.
This image of father and daughter is so beautiful. It was taken on on April 10, 2014, in San Diego, California, as Kobe stood on the sideline with Gigi on his shoulders right before the start of a friendly international match between the United States and China at Qualcomm Stadium. Gigi was less than a month away from turning 8.
They were all smiles during a 2015 game.
Vanessa, Gigi, and Natalia were captured with the biggest smiles on their faces as they watched Kobe play during a basketball game against Indiana Pacers at Staples Center on November 29, 2015, in Los Angeles. They all look so happy, and Gigi looks absolutely delighted.
She was a very good basketball player.
This picture was taken at the Air Canada Centre on February 14, 2016, in Toronto, Ontario. Gianna looked confident as she handled the ball during warm-ups before the NBA All-Star Game in 2016. She was 10 years old and felt confident enough to take the ball in front of pro players. That's pretty impressive!
Her dad took a moment to smooch on her.
This image is also from the NBA All-Star Game in 2016 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. It happened on Valentine's Day, and Kobe took a moment to show his daughter some love. Gigi never seemed to shy away from her papa's affection like some kids do.
She planned to carry on her dad's legacy.
“The best thing that happens is when we go out, and fans will come up to me and she’ll be standing next to me and they’ll be like, ‘You gotta have a boy. You and V gotta have a boy, have somebody carry on the tradition, the legacy.’ She’s like, ‘Oy, I got this. No boy for that, I got this,'” Kobe shared while on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2018.
Kobe was proud of Gianna's hard work.
When he wished her a happy 12th birthday via social media, her wrote: "Happy Birthday to our lil mambacita Gianna. We are so proud of you! From the classroom to the court. We love you more than you could ever imagine." Kobe nicknamed himself Black Mamba back in 2003; the nickname was inspired by the movie Kill Bill in which a character used a black mamba to kill someone. Later, he nicknamed Gigi "Mambacita."
Gigi wanted to go to attend the University of Connecticut.
Kobe shared a series of pics of a trip to University of Connecticut he and Gigi took in 2019. Gianna had hoped to attend the school—when it was time for her to go to college—and become a Husky. Although she never got the chance, in 2020 she became an honorary Husky. The Huskies are the most decorated women's college basketball team.
She was passionate about and dedicated to basketball.
Look at how both she and Kobe are so intensely focused as they watched a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on December 29, 2019. She was not a casual observer of the game, she was invested and cared because she was a dedicated player herself.
Natalia wished her sister a happy 13th birthday.
Given what ended up happening, Natalia's 13th birthday message to Gigi is devastating. Natalia wrote:
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIGI!!!
Oh my god… I can not believe you’re 13 already! Looking forward to more fun times together and taking pics like this ."
—Natalia Bryant
Kobe also wished her a happy 13th birthday online.
"Happy 13th birthday my Gigi! I love you beyond measure baby," Kobe wrote on May 1, 2019, when he posted side-by-side images of his second-born. In both images, Gigi is sporting a smile from ear to ear, and you can see how much she resembled her famous father.
She was multilingual.
"Gianna was smart. She knew how to read, speak, and write Mandarin. She knew Spanish and had great grades and kept them up all while becoming a great basketball player," Vanessa shared at her daughter's memorial. "She was president of school spirit, on student council."
She dressed as the Tin Man for her last Halloween.
In 2019, the Bryants did a family costume based on The Wizard of Oz. They absolutely nailed it. Gigi was dressed as the Tin Man and looked like she couldn't possibly be any happier when she posed alongside her whole family.
Gigi was a loving sister and helpful daughter.
“She was the most loving daughter, thoughtful little sister, and silly big sister,” Vanessa shared at Kobe and Gianna's memorial. “She often helped to carry the littles’ baby bag and playing with them, and she loved helping with Bianka and Capri. Bianka loved going to the playground, swimming, and jumping on the trampoline with Gigi.”
Her older sister Natalia honored Gigi on her 17th birthday.
"Happy 17th birthday, sweet Gigi. I love you forever and always. You are the Dancing Queen. Young & sweet, only seventeen ."
—Natalia Bryant
A tribute from Vanessa on Gigi's 18th birthday.
Gone, but not forgotten. Vanessa shared the following words on her what would have been Gigi's 18th birthday:
"Happy birthday to my gorgeous girl, Gigi! I love you. I miss you. I’m so proud of you. 2024 was your year. You would’ve been graduating high school and choosing which college to go to. ( I would’ve been trying my hardest to convince you to stay close to home). I’m proud of the change in sports you and daddy worked so hard on. You continue to motivate me and inspire young women and girls daily. I love you always, mommy. ❤️ #PlayGigisWay #Mambacita Forever. #18. ❤️♉️"
