The helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others on Sunday left the entire world reeling, but no one can even begin to imagine the pain the families affected are suffering through.
Vanessa Bryant — Kobe’s wife of 19 years and Gianna’s mother — made her first public statement since the accident, posting a touching tribute on Instagram Wednesday.
“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time,” she wrote. “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.”
Vanessa Bryant also expressed condolences to the other victims of the crash. She announced the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up a new fund to help support the other families impacted by the tragedy.
“There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now,” she wrote. “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.”
Since the incident, teams and players across the NBA have been holding their own special tributes to the late Los Angeles Lakers legend. There is also growing momentum toward switching the league’s logo to Kobe’s iconic silhouette.
[relatedlinks]
