The late NBA star's prints are the first-ever to be permanently displayed at TCL Chinese Theatre.
For the first time ever, the famed TCL Chinese Theatre will have a permanent display on its public forecourt and it will feature none other than late legend Kobe Bryant.
Vanessa Bryant and her three daughters -- Natalia, Bianka and Capri -- all held hands as they unveiled the prints Wednesday in Hollywood, where Natalia also spoke about her late father's unparalleled work ethic and how he inspired her to study film at USC.
Lakers president Jeanie Buss spoke to ET's Kevin Frazier at the event and recalled just how much Kobe loved being a "girl dad."
"Kobe was so proud to be a girl dad and I can’t tell you how many people have talked about that and what it meant to them," she said.
Kobe's longtime agent and now Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka spoke glowingly about Natalia.
"[Natalia] is a brilliant student at USC," Pelinka tells ET. "And just the deep dive she does in the film world she'll share with us. She's really on a special path there."
Buss and former Lakers coach/player Byron Scott also spoke at the ceremony, but it was Natalia who took the podium and offered such a moving tribute to the "best girl dad."
"Most people knew him as a basketball player or storyteller. I got to know him as my dad, and lemme tell you, he's the MVP of girl dads, to say the least," she said. "Being a dad of four girls is definitely not easy, but despite the NBA and Lakers schedule he always made sure to support me and my sisters -- Gianna, Bianka and Capri -- at our recitals, games, tournaments and any monumental moment you could think of. Being his daughter is one of the greatest joys of my life, and I hope to continue to embody and cherish the many lessons he has taught me."
Natalia, who is currently a sophomore at USC and a model with IMG Models, also recalled growing to love Star Wars, The Goonies and the entire Marvel Universe movie collection because of her dad. The 20-year-old offered a message to fans all over the world who make the pilgrimage to visit the permanent tribute to Kobe at the iconic theater.
"As you visit here for years to come, I encourage you to place your hands in his and take a moment to stand in his shoes," she said. "This will be a treasure for the city of Los Angeles and my dad's fans from all over the world to hold and to cherish."
While recalling her dad's work ethic, Natalia said she vividly remembers staying up late working on school projects or getting up for a midnight snack and watching her dad putting in the work, "always writing, storyboarding, editing" what would eventually become his Oscar-winning animated short film, Dear Basketball. She also offered a message to her late father.
"Dad, you are an icon, a legend, a storyteller and most importantly, the best girl dad any young woman could ever dream of," said Natalia, whose father and sister, Gianna, and seven others died in a January 2020 helicopter crash. "I'm honored to be here to represent you and our family. And we are extremely proud of you. We will love you forever and always. Love, Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, Capri and Mommy."
One of the sweetest moments of the ceremony undoubtedly happened after the unveiling of the prints, when Bianka, 6, and Capri, 3, placed their tiny hands and feet in Kobe's prints. Back in 2011, Kobe became the first athlete ever to have his hands and feet imprinted in cement at the theater.
Buss spoke on behalf of the Lakers organization and thanked Vanessa for inviting her to speak at the event. Buss evoked the names of Hollywood legends, including Laker super fans Denzel Washington and Jack Nicholson.
"But not one of the people celebrated in this cement has meant more to this city than the man we're here to honor today," Buss said. "From the moment that good fortune and great trade brought Kobe to us in 1996, he wove his way into the tapestry of this city in a way no sports fan or even non-sports fan will ever forget."
Buss recalled Kobe's iconic numbers: 33,000-plus points scored in the NBA, being a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee, an Oscar and EMMY winner and, most importantly to him, a five-time NBA champion.
"All of them won with the same team. There have been many great players in the history of our sport but while so many have gone on to play for or coached or consult with other franchises, Kobe was a rare throwback, a lifetime Laker, loyal to our team and to Los Angeles his whole career."
She added, "It has been more than three years since we lost Kobe, and like so many I still can't believe that he's gone. But in moments of stress and hardship, I lean on him still. I look to Kobe for guidance. I try to channel his Mamba mentality asking, what would Kobe advise me to do? I've found it's a pretty good way to get a winning outcome."
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