‘Mommy Loves You’: Vanessa Bryant Makes Heartbreaking Tribute To Daughter Gianna
Vanessa Bryant is continuing her social media tributes to her fallen husband and daughter.
Yesterday she shared some heartfelt words about her second-born child, Gianna Marie Onore.
On Wednesday (February 5), the 37-year-old mother shared a photo from Gianna’s jersey retirement ceremony held earlier that day at Harbor Day School in Newport Beach, California.
The picture, taken from inside the school’s gym, shows a bouquet of heart-shaped balloons that can be seen alongside a table with red and pink flower arrangements spelling out “Gianna.” The display also featured a red floral arrangement of her number 2, which she wore on the back of her Mamba Sports Academy jersey.
“My Gianna,” Vanessa began in the post’s caption. “God I miss you. 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.”
She continued: “Mommy loves you to the moon and back. Infinity plus 1 #2 #Mambacita #GigiBryant.”
Vanessa also shared a seperate photo of her daughter’s jersey, which was framed.
“My Gigi. I love you! I miss you,” she captioned it. “You’ve taught us all that no act of kindness is ever too small. Mommy is still and will ALWAYS be so proud of you mamacita. #2.”
The posts follows more tributes on Wednesday, during which Vanessa describes her husband Kobe Bryant as “#Mybestfriend,” “#TheBestdaddy,” and a “#lovinghusband.”
Vanessa also shared some of the speeches from the ceremony honoring her daughter, including one from her former coach who heaped praise on his young player’s drive and commitment to the game.
"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 win their game.
