To honor what would have been Gianna Bryant, aka Gigi’s 16th birthday this Sunday, her mother Vanessa, 39, and sister Natalia, 19, paid tribute with Instagram posts.
Vannessa shared several throwback photos and videos on Instagram. She also shared photos of The Kobe and Gianna Bryant basketball court in Pearson Park in Anaheim, California.
Vannessa also shared and narrated a special video in honor of Gigi’s birthday.
“Dear Gianna, from the first time you imagined winning a WNBA championship, I knew one thing was real — you were special,” she said in the video, which featured an animated version of Gigi. “You came from greatness, but it was never about what you inherited. It was about what you gave to others.”
“When someone stands up for gender equality, I see you fighting up alongside them,” she continued. “And every time someone plays her hardest, I know that’s you on the court. Love you always, basketball.”
Nike also released the Kobe VI “Sweet Sixteen” shoe in honor of Gigi’s birthday.
Related Story: New Mambacita Line Honoring Gianna Bryant Launched and Sold out on Her Birthday
Gigi’s older sister, Natalia, also shared a throwback photo of the two embracing as a tribute for her on Instagram.
Natalia wrote, “happy sweet sixteen, my dearest gigi♥️I love you to the moon and back 🌙forever & always.”
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Gianna, aka Gigi, died at 13 alongside her father, Kobe Bryant, and seven others in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
