The death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant at the weekend sent shock waves around the world. Tributes for Kobe and his young daughter, Gianna, soon flooded the internet, with many still in disbelief.
For the first time since the death of her husband and daughter, Vanessa Bryant has spoken out and expressed her gratitude for all the “support and love during this horrific time.”
Kobe Bryant’s wife of nearly 20 years broke her silence on Wednesday when she posted a photo of her and Kobe and their four daughters on her Instagram account.
She wrote:
“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe – the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna – a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.”
We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately.”
There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew 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.”
I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless – and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever.”
Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality.”
To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org.
To further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org.
Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me. #Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family
My heart goes to Vanessa and the other families. It takes so much courage to come out with those beautiful words.
Continued prayers to the Bryant family and the other families who lost loved ones … I will forever keep all in my heart. 💕
