Vanessa Bryant took to Instagram Sunday to pay a touching tribute to her daughter Gianna Bryant on what would have been her 16th birthday. Bryant, the widow of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, posted a one-minute video of black and white sketches with black text overlaying the images. A woman's voice—presumably Vanessa's—reads the text throughout the video in letter format, signing off, “Love you always, Basketball.” Vanessa Bryant captioned the post, “Love you always! Happy Birthday, Gianna. 😘❤️🥰 #Mambacita #2 ❤️❤️”.
It has been nearly two and a half years since Gianna and Kobe were tragically killed in a helicopter crash while on their way to a basketball game. The crash also claimed the lives of each of the seven other passengers in the helicopter.
Unfortunately for the Bryant family, the tragedy continues to plague their daily life. Vanessa Bryant has filed a lawsuit against LA County alleging a county employee released unauthorized photos of the crash site. Bryant says this photo leak caused emotional harm and distress. Bryant also added that the suit is not about money. Instead, she hopes to “punish the deputy defendants and make an example of them to the community.”
The other families who lost loved ones in the crash have already reached a settlement with LA County. The Mauser and Altobelli families settled for $1.25 million a piece.
But today is about Gianna. The young basketball star lives on as an inspiration to young athletes everywhere.