Vanessa Bryantis remembering her daughter Gianna.
On Saturday, Vanessa shared atouching illustrationof her 13-year-old daughter, who was killed in ahelicopter crashlast week that also claimed the lives of her fatherKobe Bryantand seven others.
In the image, Gianna, who’s dressed in her dad’sno. 24 Lakers jersey, has a big smile on her face as she holds a basketball under her arm. In another nod to her father’s team, Gianna also wears a purple and gold jacket.
“Thank you for this,” she wrote. “My Gigi.❤️ #Mambacita.”
Allen Berezovsky/Getty
On her own social media page, the artist shared that out of respect for the Bryant family, she would not be selling prints of the illustration.
“With all respect, I will not be selling prints of this piece. Instead, I would like to offer this as free downloadable wallpaper for your phones,” Koyano wrote. “I hope this serves as reminders for all of us thatlife is precious, and the fact that we can wake up to a new day every day is truly a blessing.”
“Thank you!” Vanessa, 37, wrote, commenting on the post.
Vanessa shared the heartwarming post hours after her daughter and husband were honored on Friday night as the Lakers played their first game since the tragic crash.
Among theemotional tributesthat took place ahead of the game, two court side seats were left open in honor of the pair. Each of their jerseys were laid on the seats along with bouquets of red roses.
Courtside seats with Gianna’s and Kobe Bryant’s jerseys.Harry How/Getty Images
In the week since the NBA legend and his daughter’s deaths,thousands of fans have left mementos and tributesat the Staples Center,some of which will be given to Vanessa.
In a recent interview withThe Los Angeles Times, Lee Zeidman, the president of Staples Center, L.A. Live and Microsoft Theater, said that as they begin dismantling the tributes on Sunday, following theSuper Bowl, many items will be given a new home.
“Vanessa had reached out to us and said, ‘Our family would like the items out there.’ So we’re going to catalog every one of them. By that I mean, T-shirts, letters, basketballs, stuffed animals, toys. We’re going to put those in specially made containers and we’re going to ship them to the family,” he said.
Vanessa previously revealed that while she is “devastated” over the loss of her husband, 41, and their daughter, she takes comfort “in knowing that Kobe and Gigi bothknew that they were so deeply loved.”
“We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon,” she wrote on Wednesday, as she spoke out for the first time following their deaths.
Vanessa went on to announce that the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up a charity for the seven other victims of the helicopter crash:John Altobelli,Keri Altobelli,Alyssa Altobelli,Sarah Chester, Payton Chester,Christina Mauserand pilotAra Zobayan.
Kobe Bryant, Vanessa Bryant and family.Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
On Friday, the NBA announced that they would bemaking a $100,000 donationto the foundation in partnership with the National Basketball Players Association. Shaquille O’Neal has also said that he will bedonating the proceedsfrom his annual pre-Super Bowl party to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation as well as to the families of the victims.
“It was just the right thing to do,” O’Neal, 47,told PEOPLEon Friday at the event. “A lot of people were lost, my heart is with the families.
If you would like to help the families of the victims of the crash, consider donating to theMamba on Three Fund. Contributions to theMamba Sports Foundationwill help support youth sports.
source: people.com
