Vanessa Bryant Mourns Kobe On Retirement Anniversary – Says 'Life Truly Isn't Fair'

Apr 14, 2020 by apost team

Vanessa Bryant, the wife of the late basketball superstar Kobe Bryant, took to social media on Monday to remember her husband’s legacy on the the player’s four-year retirement anniversary from the sport and his team, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Vanessa posted the anniversary message on Instagram along with a video of highlights from Kobe’s last NBA game on April 13, 2016 in which he scored 60 points. The video has received a number of heartfelt replies from news outlets like Sports Center to other athletes on social media, along with receiving more than 3 million views and 1 million likes as of Tuesday.

“All he wanted was to spend time with our girls and me to make up for lost time,” Vanessa wrote. “He wanted to be there for every single milestone and special moment in our girls lives. He only got to enjoy 3 years and 9 months of retirement.”

Vanessa continued the post by listing Kobe’s numerous achievements both on and off the basketball court, noting the basketball icon’s Oscar win and the fact that he’s a five-time bestselling author. Earlier this month, Kobe’s recently released sports fantasy novel, the second installment in the The Wizenard Series, made it on to The New York Times Best Seller list, according to People.

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But beyond acknowledging his achievements in the emotional post, Vanessa wrote on the “senseless” nature of her husband and her 13-year-old daughter Gianna’s deaths in a fatal helicopter accident this past January, writing: “[Gianna] worked hard and gave her all 7 days a week just like her daddy. I wish I could go back to that morning, every day. I wish they had a normal local game on 1/26.”

Kobe, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash this January, which led to an outpouring of support and collective heartbreak for fans around the world. Kobe is survived by Vanessa, their daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri and his parents. Before his death, Kobe was considered among the best basketball players of all time. With more than five NBA championships and one MVP award under his belt, the basketball phenom retired with over 30,000 career points, the third highest in the NBA’s history, according to The Guardian.

Before rising to become one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe grew up in an athletic family, with his father Joe “Jellybean” Bryant playing for La Salle University and later for the Philadelphia 76ers. Following in his father’s basketball footsteps, Kobe played in high school, skipped college and joined the NBA before he was even 18 years old. Since that fateful beginning, Kobe has become a basketball legend, winning Olympic gold and carrying the Lakers to win title after title.

Vanessa remembered that long, 20-year basketball legacy in her post, naming the day “Mamba Day” after the sport phenom’s nickname the "Black Mamba.” He “[g]ave it his all,” she wrote.

“Life truly isn’t fair. This is just senseless.”

What do you think of Vanessa Bryant's heartfelt post? Were you a Kobe fan? Let us know and pass this story on to friends and family members.