On Monday, Vanessa shared a throwback photo of her and Kobe kissing in front of one of his (many) championship trophies. “Happy Birthday Papi,” she wrote, calling the Lakers legend her eternal love. “Te amo por siempre,” she added, which translates to “I love you forever.”
Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among the nine killed in a helicopter crash in Jan. 2020. Vanessa has kept their memories alive through the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation.
It’s been an emotional few days for Vanessa as she dropped of Natalia, the oldest of four girls she and Kobe shared, at college.
“Today was rough,” she captioned a family photo. “(This was before the tears came down)…”
Kobe Bryant would’ve turned 43 years old today.
Happy Birthday Kobe. We miss you. 💛💜 pic.twitter.com/F0LW7MC5vy
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) August 23, 2021
Kobe Bryant would've turned 43 years-old today. Happy Birthday to one of the greatest to ever do it! 🕊️🕊️ pic.twitter.com/8VzAbg9FEO
— BROTHER (@BrotherHQ) August 23, 2021