8 heartbreaking moments from Vanessa Bryant's tribute to Kobe and Gigi
Vanessa Bryant delivered emotional remarks about her late husband Kobe and daughter Gianna at the public memorial service honoring their lives at the Staples Center on Monday. As she announced earlier this month, the "Celebration of Life" was held on a special date: 2/24/20 — #2 for Gigi's jersey number, #24 for Kobe's jersey number, and 20 for the number of years the All-Star played in the NBA.
At the memorial, Vanessa Bryant spoke publicly for the first time since her husband and daughter died in a helicopter crash along with seven others on January 26. In front of a crowd of thousands of people, she opened up about the pain she has experienced after losing two of the loves of her life.
Here are eight memorable moments from her speech:
1. Kisses from Gianna
"Gianna Bryant is an amazingly sweet and gentle soul. She was always thoughtful. She always kissed me goodnight and kissed me good morning," Vanessa Bryant said.
2. Watching Gigi grow up
"We will not be able to see Gianna go to high school with Natalia … we didn't get the chance to teach her how to drive a car," Vanessa said.
3. Kobe the "girl dad"
"We had always talked about how we'd be the fun grandparents to our girls' children. He would've been the coolest grandpa," she said.
4. Kobe the romantic
"He was truly the romantic one in our relationship, and looked forward to Valentine's Day and our anniversaries every year. He planed anniversary trips and a special traditional gift for every year of our marriage. He even handmade my most treasured gifts," Vanessa said, revealing one of the special gifts her husband gave her.
5. "He was my sweet husband"
"Kobe was known as a fierce competitor on the basketball court. The greatest of all time. A writer. An Oscar winner. And the Black Mamba," Bryant said to cheers from the crowd.
6. Gigi the basketball player
"She was very maternal since she was really little. Gigi would have most likely become the best player in the WNBA," Vanessa Bryant said to applause.
7. Kobe and Gigi's secret talent
"She was competitive like her dad but Gianna had a sweet grace. Her smile was like sunshine," Vanessa said.
8. Kobe and Gigi together
Vanessa Bryant closed her speech talking about Kobe and Gigi together. "Babe, you take care of our Gigi," she said.
