Vanessa Bryant marked the one year passing of her husband Kobe and 13-year-old daughter Gianna by sharing a letter on her Instagram feed from one of Gianna's best friends and then writing an emotional note in response.
"Today I received this sweet letter from one of Gianna's best friends, Aubrey," Vanessa began in her caption. "I love you Aubz (as my Gigi would call you). Thank you so much for beautifully sharing some of your memories of my Gigi with me and allowing me to share them here on my ig."
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Bryant continued, "My Gigi is INCREDIBLE and I truly appreciate your thoughtful letter. She loves you so much. I miss my baby girl and Kob-Kob so much, too. ♥️I will never understand why/how this tragedy could've happened to such beautiful, kind and amazing human beings. It still doesn't seem real. Kob, we did it right. Gigi, you still make mommy proud. I love you!"
Vanessa concluded the post using the hashtags "#PlayGigisWay," "#Mambacita," "#Mamba," "#DaddysGirl" and "#GirlDad."
Kobe, Gianna and a group that included Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, John Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter, Alyssa Altobelli — were on their way to a basketball game in a helicopter piloted by Ara Zobayan that crashed in Calabasas, California. At the time, Bryant was 41.
The Los Angeles Lakers included Bryant's legacy in their championship rings after they won the title in last year's season. One of Bryant's credos, "Leave a Legacy," is emblazoned on the ring, along with his number 8 and number 24 jerseys. It's expected that a statue will be erected in Bryant's honor outside the Lakers' home, the Staples Center, in downtown Los Angeles.