Vanessa Bryant honored her and Kobe Bryant‘s deceased daughter, Gianna “Gigi” Bryant‘s, round 18th birthday in a special way!
On Saturday, Vanessa hosted a special Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation Basketball Camp – honoring Gigi and Kobe’s mission and legacy of creating sports opportunities for boys and girls in underserved communities.
Vanessa shared a series of videos from the camp, which took place at the Lakers’ training facility and was attended by 100 boys and girls wearing uniforms with Gianna’s basketball number (2) while they went through drills and had the opportunity to get to know Vanessa and her daughters. Natalia, Bianka and Capri.
“In honor of Gianna’s 18th birthday, we hosted a special @MambaMambacitaSports Skills Academy Basketball Camp with @nikela, @lakers and @uscwbb to share my daughter’s PLAY GIGI’S WAY™ spirit with boys and girls from local community organizations in LA.” , she wrote on Instagram Video shared on Saturday. “We loved seeing their passion for basketball, embracing joy, curiosity and competitiveness while never taking any opportunity for granted, just like Gigi. #PlayGigisWay❤️ #HappyBirthdayGigi #18 5-1-06.”
In another Video montage of the eventwrote the mother of four: “Today we brought together over 100 boys and girls from @bgcofwhittier, @wsgvbgc, @bgclaharbor to join us at the @lakers facility for an unforgettable @MambaMambacitaSports Skills Academy Basketball Camp to mark the 18th.” “To honor my Gigi’s birthday.”
She added: “We are grateful to our dedicated partners @nikeLA, @uscwbb and all the coaches who made the day extra special 🦋 #GiannaBryant #MAMBACITA #PlayGigisWay❤️#2 🖤🤍.”
In the clip, Vanessa also shared a special message for the young athletes.
“We are here to celebrate Gigi’s 18th birthday, so I am very happy to see you all here to play with joy and curiosity like she always did,” she said.
Attendees were gifted basketballs and the newest sneaker from Gianna’s collection with Nike, the Kobe 8 Mambacita.
The official Mamba and Mambacita organization also shared a video of the day with the young athletes.
Gianna’s 18th birthday would have been May 1st. Vanessa took to Instagram to share an emotional post with her daughter and highlight the milestones she would have marked this year.
“Happy birthday, my beautiful girl, Gigi! I love you. I miss you. I’m so proud of you. 2024 was your year. You would have graduated high school and chosen which college you wanted to go to. (I would.) “I tried my best to convince you to stay close to home,” she wrote. “I’m proud of the change in sport that you and your dad have worked so hard to bring about. They continue to motivate me and inspire young women and girls every day. I love you always, mom. ❤️ #PlayGigisWay #Mambacita Forever. #18. ❤️♉️.”
Gianna was 13 years old when she died along with her father Kobesix other passengers and the pilot in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.
Since the deaths of her husband and daughter, Vanessa has continued her legacy through the nonprofit organization. In February, Vanessa and her three daughters attended the unveiling of Kobe’s statue in the Crypto.com sectionThis marked their first return to the venue since his and Gianna’s memorial service.
“It goes without saying that today is a particularly sad day for us… I want to thank you all for being here and showing your love for Kobe and our family,” Vanessa said at the end of the ceremony. “This moment is not just for Kobe, but for all of you who have cheered for him all these years.”
In February, ET spoke with Vanessa’s best friend Kelly Rowlandwho praised her strength and resilience.
“Vanessa is one of the strongest women I know,” Rowland told ET, adding that the event was “a beautiful place.” [and] a nice time.”
“Hearing from so many people who love him, it was just a blessing for me to be a part of this space. He continues to inspire me; I’m just talking about Kobe and…” [the] “Mamba mentality and the ability to give back to so many generations to come,” she added. “I feel like it’s his legacy.”
RELATED CONTENT: