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Gianna Bryant

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Gianna Bryant
Gianna Bryant at three years old (2010)
Born
Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant

(2006-05-01)May 1, 2006
Orange County, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 26, 2020(2020-01-26) (aged 13)
Calabasas, California, U.S.
Resting placePacific View Memorial Park
Other namesGigi, Mambacita
Parents

Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant (May 1, 2006 — January 26, 2020), also known as Gigi Bryant and Mambacita, was an American student-athlete and the daughter of former professional basketball player Kobe Bryant.[1] Together with her father and seven others, she died in a helicopter crash in 2020 at age 13.

Life

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Gianna and her parents watch while her sister Natalia sells Girl Scout Cookies to President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, January 26, 2010

Gianna "Gigi" Bryant was born on May 1, 2006, the daughter of National Basketball Association Hall-of-Famer athlete Kobe Bryant and businesswoman, philanthropist and model Vanessa Bryant. She had an older sister named Natalia and two younger sisters named Bianka and Capri. Bryant often accompanied her father, sitting with him at the 2008 NBA Finals press conference[2] and playing on the court during warm-ups at the 2016 All-Star Game.[3] In 2020, a video went viral of the pair talking intensely in the stands while watching a basketball game.[4] The Hartford Courant reported, by 2018, when she was only 11, that college basketball coaches were asking her father to encourage her to attend their colleges and join their teams.[5]

She attended Harbor Day School in Newport Beach, where she played on the school basketball team and was a member of the student council.[6] She also played basketball for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).[7]

USA Today noted, in June 2018, that, having just turned 12, she was already taller than her mother, and speculated that, by the time she was grown, she might be close to the height of her father. They stated, "That size with Bryant's skill is an absolutely terrifying combination for a young dynamo who clearly has the ability to dominate the flow of a game on the court."[8]

On December 30, 2019, Bryant's father Kobe made a trademark application for "Mambacita", her sports nickname (derived from his, "The Black Mamba")[9] on her behalf.[10]

Death

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Main article: 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash

Bryant, her father and seven other people died on January 26, 2020, in a helicopter crash at Calabasas, California. The other victims included two of Gianna's basketball teammates: Alyssa Altobelli (daughter of baseball coach John Altobelli) and Payton Chester. A postmortem revealed that the cause of death for all nine people was blunt trauma and the manner of death was an accident. The pilot tested negative for drugs and alcohol.[11]

Tributes and funeral services

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Main article: 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash
Fans gathered in front of Staples Center (later Crypto.com Arena) on the day of Bryant's death
Metro Bus in Los Angeles with "RIP Kobe" banner, January 2020

On February 7, Bryant and her father were buried in a private funeral in Pacific View Memorial Park in the Corona del Mar neighborhood of Newport Beach, California.[12] A public memorial service was held on February 24 (2/24, marking both Kobe's and Gianna's jersey numbers) at the Staples Center with Jimmy Kimmel hosting.

Speakers at the service included Vanessa, Jordan, and Shaquille O'Neal, along with Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi and Geno Auriemma, Taurasi's coach at Connecticut, where Bryant had been aspiring to play.[13][14][15]

Legacy

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Basketball

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In the 2020 WNBA draft, Bryant, Altobelli, and Chester were made honorary draft picks.[16][17][18] WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said, "These athletes represented the future of the WNBA. Players who were following their passions, acquiring knowledge of the game, exhibiting skills that were way beyond their years. They represented the next generation of stars in our league, maybe what might have been called the 'Mambacita Generation'."[19] The NBA said, "Gianna Bryant was going to carry on a basketball legacy". Russ Davis, the women's basketball coach at Vanguard University in Southern California. "It's hard to predict her future, but with the way she was improving and the way she understood the game, she was going to have a bright one."[20] Bryant's school, Harbor Day School, retired her jersey, #2.[21]

Bryant was expected to play for the University of Connecticut's UConn Huskies women's basketball; the team saved a seat for her at the game following her death, where they placed flowers and a UConn jersey bearing her No. 2 on the bench.[22][23] UConn also posted to twitter, "Mambacita is forever a Husky."[24][25]

In 2022, the WNBA introduced an award named the Kobe & Gigi Advocacy Award: it is given out yearly to "honor someone in the basketball space for their continued advocacy for girls and women's basketball around the country."[26]

On what would have been her 18th birthday in 2024, the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation hosted a basketball camp called "Play Gigi's Way".[27]

Brand name

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In May 2022, on what would have been Bryant's 16th birthday, Nike released the "Mambacita Sweet 16" shoe. It was black and white, meant to "symbolize[s] Gigi Bryant's impact on basketball and her goal to build a better, more inclusive future for the game," Nike said.[28] In May 2024, Nike released a new colorway of the Nike Kobe 8 "Mambacita" sneaker in honor of what would have been Gianna's 18th birthday. Profits will benefit the Mambacita Sports Foundation, dedicated to supporting underserved child athletes.[29] Nike added butterflies meant to show the "transformational impact she had on highlighting women's sports".[30]

Artworks

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Numerous murals were painted around Los Angeles, honoring Kobe and "Gigi" Bryant.[31]

On the second anniversary of their death, January 26, 2022, a 160 lb (73 kg) bronze statue of Gianna and her father was placed for one day at the site of the crash. The sculptor, Dan Medina, said that he was working on a life-size version of the work and hoped to site it in downtown Los Angeles.[32] In February 2024, when a Statue of Kobe Bryant was installed at his team's basketball court, Gianna's mother Vanessa Bryant said that two more statues were planned for that site including "one with our beautiful daughter Gianna".[33]

A statue depicting her and her father embracing was unveiled on August 2, 2024, near Crypto.com Arena.[34][35][36] The pose was inspired by various moments from 2019 of the two sitting courtside at numerous Los Angeles Lakers games and one Brooklyn Nets game.

References

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  1. ^ "Gianna Bryant, 13, was going to carry on a basketball legacy". AP News. January 28, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  2. ^ "Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers kisses daughter Gianna in a..." Getty Images. June 16, 2008. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "R.I.P. Kobe Bryant: NBA legend and daughter Gianna's relationship in photos". Yahoo Sports. January 26, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  4. ^ Staff, In Touch (January 26, 2020). "Kobe Bryant Explained Basketball Game to Gianna in Video Before Death". In Touch Weekly. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  5. ^ "Gianna Bryant, 13, was going to carry on a basketball legacy with plans to play at UConn and beyond". Hartford Courant. January 27, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  6. ^ Merrett, Robyn (February 6, 2020). "Gianna Bryant's Middle School Harbor Day Retires Her Jersey in Touching Gymnasium Ceremony". Peoplemag. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  7. ^ "Gianna Bryant Was A Star In The Making". Girls United. May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  8. ^ Smith, Cam (June 26, 2018). "Kobe Bryant's daughter Gianna shows off transition defense, slick spin move". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  9. ^ Gaines, Cork (January 27, 2023). "Kobe Bryant created his 'Black Mamba' alter-ego as a way to get through the lowest point of his career". Business Insider. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  10. ^ Mizoguchi, Karen (January 27, 2020). "Kobe Bryant Filed Trademark for Daughter Gianna's Nickname 'Mambacita' a Month Before Their Deaths". People. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  11. ^ "Kobe Bryant helicopter crash post-mortem released". BBC. May 16, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  12. ^ Boren, Cindy (February 12, 2020). "Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were buried near their home in a private service last week". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: WP Company LLC. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  13. ^ Turner, Broderick (February 7, 2020). "Vanessa Bryant announces 'A Celebration of Life' for Kobe and Gianna". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  14. ^ Bieler, Desmond (February 7, 2020). "Kobe Bryant public memorial service set for Feb. 24 at Staples Center". Washington Post. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  15. ^ Almasy, Steve; Melas, Chloe (February 7, 2020). "Kobe Bryant memorial service will be held February 24 at Staples Center". CNN. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  16. ^ Hays, Graham (April 17, 2020). "Gianna among 3 named honorary WNBA picks". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  17. ^ "Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli, Payton Chester selected as honorary picks at WNBA draft". ESPN. April 17, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  18. ^ "2020 WNBA Draft: Gianna Bryant, teammates in fatal helicopter crash, selected as honorary draft picks". CBSSports.com. April 18, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  19. ^ "Gianna among 3 named honorary WNBA picks". ESPN.com. April 17, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  20. ^ "Gianna Bryant was going to carry on a basketball legacy". NBA.com. January 14, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  21. ^ "Gianna Bryant's No. 2 jersey retired by her school". wthr.com. February 6, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  22. ^ "Gianna Bryant mourned by UConn women's basketball team before game". January 28, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  23. ^ Stein, Marc (January 29, 2020). "Kobe Bryant Saw His Greatness Mirrored in Gianna". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  24. ^ "'Mambacita Is Forever A Husky': UConn Honors Kobe Bryant's Daughter Gianna - CBS Boston". www.cbsnews.com. January 28, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  25. ^ McLaughlin, Eliott C. (January 28, 2020). "Gigi Bryant always wanted to be a UConn Husky. Now, she'll be one forever". CNN. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  26. ^ Peterson, Chloe. "Ann Meyers Drysdale, 1st woman to sign in NBA with Pacers, wins Kobe & Gigi Advocacy Award". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  27. ^ "Vanessa Bryant Honors Late Daughter Gianna by Hosting Basketball Camp". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  28. ^ "Remembering Gigi Bryant: Rising basketball star would've celebrated 16th birthday Sunday". FOX 11. April 29, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  29. ^ "Vanessa Bryant Tells Late Daughter Gianna 'I Miss You' on What Would Have Been Her 18th Birthday". Peoplemag. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  30. ^ News •, Gabrielle Chung | E! (May 1, 2024). "How Vanessa Bryant celebrated late daughter Gigi on her 18th birthday". NBC10 Philadelphia. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  31. ^ Sblendorio, Peter (March 9, 2020). "Kobe Bryant's oldest daughter takes photo in front of mural honoring NBA icon and sister Gianna". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  32. ^ "Statue of Kobe, daughter placed at site of crash". ESPN.com. January 27, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  33. ^ Healy, Jon (February 9, 2024). "Kobe Bryant statue unveiled, as wife Vanessa reveals late daughter Gianna will be depicted in another". ABC News. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  34. ^ "Lakers Honor Kobe and Gianna Bryant With Rotblatt Amrany Sculpture | Studio Rotblatt Amrany". rotblattamrany.com. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  35. ^ Golliver, Ben (August 3, 2024). "Lakers unveil statue honoring Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  36. ^ Bernabe, Angeline Jane. "New Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant statue celebrates the basketball legend's love for his daughters". ABC News. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
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