August 23 is a bittersweet day in the NBA world. That’s because it is Kobe Bean Bryant’s birthday. The all-time great Los Angeles Lakers star would have been 45 years old in 2023. Despite being gone for over three-and-a-half years now, Bryant’s legacy lives on, and his wife, Vanessa Bryant, helped remind us all of that on Wednesday as she wished her late husband, the Black Mamba himself, a Happy Birthday.

Vanessa Bryant posted a sweet and understated Happy Birthday message to the late Kobe Bryant on her Instagram. She simply wrote, “Happy birthday, baby. I love you always & forever.” She also added a heart emoji and the hashtag #82378, in honor of Bryant’s birth date, August 23, 1978. She also added two snaps of her hugging and kissing her husband.

While Vanessa Bryant’s post may be the most impactful birthday message to Kobe today, it is just one of millions. “Kobe Bryant” was trending on Twitter from early Wednesday morning as the birthday messages poured in from fans and famous players alike around the globe.

Bryant died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, when he was 41, alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, John, Keri, and Alyssa Altobelli, Payton and Sara Chester, Christina Mauser, and pilot Ara Zobayan.

The global icon came into the NBA from high school in 1996 and played his entire career for the Lakers. He won five NBA championships with the team and made 18 All-Star, 15 All-NBA, and 12 All-Defensive teams. The Black Mamba also earned an NBA MVP in 2008 and two NBA Finals MVA Awards.

Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016 and was venturing into the entertainment award at the time of his death. In 2018, he won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his film Dear Basketball.