Ever since Kobe and GiGi Bryant passed away in a tragic accident back in 2020, Vanessa Bryant has been a beacon of strength for her family. In the past year alone, Vanessa has been able to reclaim the Mamba name from Nike all while standing up for Kobe fans everywhere who just wanted to cop his shoes without paying resale prices. She has also stood strong throughout other family issues all while delivering a beautiful speech at the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Today, Kobe would have turned 43 years old, and to celebrate, Vanessa took to Instagram with a photo of the two that was taken after Kobe had won an NBA title. The love between the two of them was clearly very strong, and this photo certainly makes that obvious.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
"Happy birthday, Papi. Te Amo por siempre. Amor Eterno," Vanessa wrote. This phrase translates to "I love you forever, eternal love," which is a moving message on a day like today. It can't be easy to be in Bryant's shoes right now, although there is no doubt she's handling it all with grace.
As for the rest of the NBA community, they have been celebrating Kobe as well with some touching messages and posts on social media. In the tweets below, you can see just how much Kobe meant to all of the people he impacted throughout his career.
Tell us your favorite Kobe moments, in the comments section down below.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1429790547548516360
https://twitter.com/_/status/1429659098551832578
https://twitter.com/_/status/1429782943774519298
https://twitter.com/_/status/1429660233203322881
https://twitter.com/_/status/1429791138689527820
https://twitter.com/_/status/1429798216762118146
https://twitter.com/_/status/1429677152828542979
https://twitter.com/_/status/1429790752024956928
https://twitter.com/_/status/1429662861543022593
https://twitter.com/_/status/1429670441073971205
https://twitter.com/_/status/1429763996538769421