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Vanessa Bryant shared various images to remember her daughter and what would have been her 17th birthday. Bryant shared the photos on Instagram, showing her daughter alone and surrounded by her family.
The first post shows Gigi riding a horse in a carousel and smiling for the cameras. “Happy 17th birthday, baby girl. I love you and I miss you so much, sweet angel,” reads the post’s caption. Other photos that she shared on separate posts showed Gigi and her sisters Natalia, Capri and Bianka smiling for the cameras. “We love you to the moon and back, infinity +1,” reads the emotional caption. “Forever & Always.”
Vanessa’s post received a lot of loves, with some of her closest friends leaving sweet comments, including Taraji P. Henson and Candace Parker.
Gigi and Kobe Bryant tragically died on January 26th, in a helicopter crash.
Gigi’s birthday coincides with the release of the Mambacita Kobe IV Protro sneakers. The shoes, designed by Nike, are white and black basketball shoes, with the proceeds benefiting the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation. “The design’s colorway nods to her youth basketball team’s uniform,” said Nike. “The gingham around the heel pays tribute to the flannel shirts that Gigi frequently wore around her waist. The Swoosh on the outsole is red, nodding to the red bow Gigi wore in her hair for school pictures.” The shoes were immediately sold out upon release.
The Mamba and Mambacita Foundation is a non-profit founded to provide aid to underserved athletes and boys and girls in sports.