Vanessa Bryant is mourning the death of her 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
Vanessa Bryant is mourning the death of her 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
Vanessa's second eldest child died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 alongside her father -- and Vanessa's husband of 18 years -- Kobe Bryant, and seven other victims. On Wednesday, 37-year-old Vanessa Instagrammed a photo from Gianna's jersey retirement ceremony featuring the number two, which was her jersey number for her Mamba Academy team, as well as red balloons.
"My Gianna. God I miss you," Vanessa wrote. "I’ve been so lucky to have woken up to see your gorgeous face and amazing smile for 13 years. Wish it would’ve been until my last breath. Mommy loves you to the moon and back. Infinity plus 1. #2 #Mambacita #GigiBryant ❤️."
Vanessa also shared a series of videos from the ceremony, including a few of the heartfelt speeches from Gianna's coaches, classmates and teachers who spoke during the emotional event held at Harbor Day School in Corona del Mar, California.
"No matter who we were playing, she was gonna force her will and help us find a way to win. And she did just that. She willed us to the finals and got her teammates to compete at a very high level," Gianna's former coach said, reflecting on her determination and athleticism. "She was the heart and soul of this team and her competitive nature was infectious."
The coach also shared a story about how, a few weeks ago, the school's 8th grade boys team were playing against a rival school, and Gianna asked to compete on the boys' team to help them in their game.
"The fact is, Gigi could have played with those boys. She could have helped them win some games. She was definitely able to hold her own at that level," he shared, adding that she was "one of the fiercest competitors I've ever seen."
The heartbreaking tribute comes after her Instagram post earlier today about Kobe.
"#Mybestfriend #theBestdaddy Miss you so much," she wrote alongside a smiling picture of the NBA icon. "#Handsome #sweet #funny #silly #lovinghusband ❤️Miss you saying, 'Bonjourno principessa/reina.'"
Last week, Vanessa broke her silence on the tragic deaths of Kobe and Gianna.
"My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time," she Instagrammed. "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. We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately."
"There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now," she continued. "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. I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way."
Vanessa is definitely keeping Kobe and Gianna's memories alive. On Monday, ET learned that she personally requested that some mementos left at the Staples Center by fans of Kobe be given to the Bryant family.
Meanwhile, for more on how Vanessa has been coping since Kobe and Gianna's deaths, watch the video below:
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