Vanessa Bryant pays tribute to Kobe, Gianna one year after fatal accident

(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

(LOS ANGELES) It has been exactly one year since Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

Kobe’s wife, Vanessa, posted a tribute on Instagram on Tuesday, sharing a letter that was written to her by one of Gianna’s best friends, Aubrey.

“I will never understand why/how this tragedy could’ve happened to such beautiful, kind and amazing human beings,” Vanessa said in the caption. “It still doesn’t seem real. Kob, we did it right. Gigi, you still make mommy proud. I love you!”

The letter includes stories about Gianna and how she impacted the lives of those she surrounded herself with.

"Her love of life is something I will also admire endlessly,” Aubrey said in the letter. “She attacked each day as though it was her to conquer."

She continued, "There are times I get into a pit of despair thinking about her and what she could've accomplished had she had a couple more years. But recently I have been thinking about the mark she did leave on this earth. Her fights for equality in sports made the world reconsider their opinions, she along with Mr. Bryant, set the wheels in motion."

Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, were on their way to Gianna’s basketball game at Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks when the helicopter crashed into a hillside about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles, killing all nine people aboard.

John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester and Ara Zobayan were the other seven passengers who died in the crash.

Kobe spent his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers, leading them to five NBA championships. He also has two Olympic gold medals for men's basketball.

He retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final game, a fraction of the 33,643 total points he amassed throughout his career.

On the anniversary of Kobe and Gianna’s deaths, members of the sports community took to social media to mourn their loss and honor their legacy.

Follow me to see more articles like this.

...

Follow