Vanessa Bryant’s Tribute to Daughter Gianna Showcases a Mother’s Endless Love

There’s nothing stronger than a mother’s bond with her children.

As Vanessa Bryant continues to mourn the loss of her 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, the proud mom took to Instagram to share a special tribute to a basketball player gone too soon.

“My Gianna. God I miss you,” Vanessa shared on Instagram. “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. Mommy loves you to the moon and back. Infinity plus 1. #2 #Mambacita #GigiBryant.”

Vanessa included a picture from what appears to be a special tribute to Gianna at a school gymnasium.

The post comes just hours after Vanessa shared fond memories of her late husband Kobe Bryant who also passed away in a helicopter crash.

“#Mybestfriend #theBestdaddy Miss you so much. #handsome #sweet #funny #silly #lovinghusband,” she shared with an image of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball player taken by USA Today‘s Harrison Hill. “Miss you saying, ‘Bonjourno principessa/reina.'”

Vanessa later shared a video of Gianna’s jersey retirement, where two of her classmates gave a speech in her honor. “She always showed up with a smile and motivated us to do more. She pushed us to take action. She took projects into her own hands and was a team player like every leader should be,” one of them joked. “She displayed her leadership by not talking over people and taking other people’s ideas and making them real.”

Her teammates completed the tribute by singing Maroon 5‘s “Memories.”

As Vanessa and her family continue to mourn, fans have a chance to make a difference and give back. In a recent social media post, Vanessa announced that the Mamba Sports Foundation set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support families affected by the tragedy.

And for those hoping to further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, she directed followers to the Mamba Sports Foundation.

“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them,” Vanessa shared in a recent Instagram post. “I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon.”

She added, “I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way.”

Funeral arrangements and public memorials for Kobe and Gianna have not been announced at this time. Most recently, the father-daughter duo were honored at the 2020 Super Bowl and during the halftime show with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.