Gianna Bryant
{{Short description|Daughter of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant (2006–2020)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gianna Bryant
| image = Young Gianna Bryant gazes up at President Barack Obama when her family met him on 26 January 2010.jpg
| caption = Bryant in 2010
| birth_date = {{Birth date|2006|5|1}}
| birth_place = Orange County, California, U.S.
| other_names = Gigi, Mambacita
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|01|26|2006|5|1}}
| death_place = Calabasas, California, U.S.
| resting_place = Pacific View Memorial Park
| mother = Vanessa Bryant
| father = Kobe Bryant
}}
Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant (May 1, 2006 – January 26, 2020), also known as Gigi Bryant and Mambacita, was an American student-athlete and the daughter of former professional basketball player Kobe Bryant.{{Cite web |date=2020-01-28 |title=Gianna Bryant, 13, was going to carry on a basketball legacy |url=https://apnews.com/article/sports-general-basketball-ca-state-wire-sports-ap-top-news-0060efaefa9ce0326cb20b10df90150f |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=AP News |language=en}} Together with her father and seven others, she died in a helicopter crash in 2020 at age 13.
Life
File:President Barack Obama Buys Girl Scout Cookies from Natalia Bryant in the Oval Office - DPLA - 2df46c3416874089087c65643777df8b.jpg to President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, January 26, 2010]]
Gianna "Gigi" Bryant was born on May 1, 2006, the daughter of National Basketball Association Hall-of-Famer athlete Kobe Bryant and businesswoman, philanthropist and model Vanessa Bryant. She had an older sister, Natalia, and two younger sisters, Bianka and Capri. Bryant often accompanied her father, sitting with him at the 2008 NBA Finals press conference{{Cite web |date=2008-06-16 |title=Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers kisses daughter Gianna in a... |url=https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/kobe-bryant-of-the-los-angeles-lakers-kisses-daughter-news-photo/81583176 |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Getty Images}} and playing on the court during warm-ups at the 2016 All-Star Game.{{Cite web |date=2020-01-26 |title=R.I.P. Kobe Bryant: NBA legend and daughter Gianna's relationship in photos |url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/rip-kobe-bryant-nba-legend-and-daughter-gianna-dead-in-helicopter-crash-220827283.html |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Yahoo Sports}} In 2020, a video went viral of the pair talking intensely in the stands while watching a basketball game.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=In Touch |date=2020-01-26 |title=Kobe Bryant Explained Basketball Game to Gianna in Video Before Death |url=https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/kobe-bryant-explained-basketball-game-to-gianna-in-video-before-death/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=In Touch Weekly}} The Hartford Courant reported, by 2018, when she was only 11, that college basketball coaches were asking her father to encourage her to attend their colleges and join their teams.{{cite news |title=Gianna Bryant, 13, was going to carry on a basketball legacy with plans to play at UConn and beyond |url=https://www.courant.com/2020/01/27/gianna-bryant-13-was-going-to-carry-on-a-basketball-legacy-with-plans-to-play-at-uconn-and-beyond/ |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=Hartford Courant |date=27 January 2020}}
She attended Harbor Day School in Newport Beach, where she played on the school basketball team and was a member of the student council.{{cite news |last1=Merrett |first1=Robyn |title=Gianna Bryant's Middle School Harbor Day Retires Her Jersey in Touching Gymnasium Ceremony |url=https://people.com/sports/gianna-bryants-middle-school-harbor-day-retires-her-jersey-in-touching-gymnasium-ceremony/ |access-date=3 June 2024 |work=Peoplemag |date=February 6, 2020}} She also played basketball for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).{{Cite web |date=2024-05-01 |title=Gianna Bryant Was A Star In The Making |url=https://girlsunited.essence.com/feedback/news/gianna-bryant-basketball-helicopter-crash/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Girls United}}
USA Today noted, in June 2018, that, having just turned 12, she was already taller than her mother, and speculated that, by the time she was grown, she might be close to the height of her father. They stated, "That size with Bryant's skill is an absolutely terrifying combination for a young dynamo who clearly has the ability to dominate the flow of a game on the court."{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Cam |title=Kobe Bryant's daughter Gianna shows off transition defense, slick spin move |url=https://usatodayhss.com/2018/kobe-bryants-daughter-gianna-shows-off-transition-defense-slick-spin-move |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=USA Today High School Sports |date=26 June 2018}}
On December 30, 2019, Bryant's father Kobe made a trademark application for "Mambacita", her sports nickname (derived from his, "The Black Mamba"){{cite news |last1=Gaines |first1=Cork |title=Kobe Bryant created his 'Black Mamba' alter-ego as a way to get through the lowest point of his career |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/kobe-bryant-black-mamba-nickname-2022-6 |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=Business Insider |date=27 January 2023}} on her behalf.{{cite news |last1=Mizoguchi |first1=Karen |title=Kobe Bryant Filed Trademark for Daughter Gianna's Nickname 'Mambacita' a Month Before Their Deaths |url=https://people.com/sports/kobe-bryant-filed-trademark-daughter-gianna-mambacita-month-before-deaths/ |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=People |date=27 January 2020}}
Death
{{main|2020 Calabasas helicopter crash}}
Bryant, her father and seven other people died on January 26, 2020, in a helicopter crash at Calabasas, California. The other victims included two of Gianna's basketball teammates: Alyssa Altobelli (daughter of baseball coach John Altobelli) and Payton Chester. A postmortem revealed that the cause of death for all nine people was blunt trauma and the manner of death was an accident.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52687408|title=Kobe Bryant helicopter crash post-mortem released|publisher=BBC|date=16 May 2020|accessdate=3 June 2024 |language=}}
Tributes and funeral services
File:Kobe Bryant death.jpg (later Crypto.com Arena) on the day of Bryant's death|alt=]]
File:RIP Kobe Bryant bus banner.png
On February 7, Bryant and her father were buried in a private funeral in Pacific View Memorial Park in the Corona del Mar neighborhood of Newport Beach, California.{{cite news|last1=Boren|first1=Cindy|title=Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were buried near their home in a private service last week|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/02/12/kobe-bryant-burial-service/|access-date=February 13, 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|publisher=WP Company LLC|date=February 12, 2020|location=Washington, D.C.}} A public memorial service was held on February 24 (2/24, marking both Kobe's and Gianna's jersey numbers) at Staples Center with Jimmy Kimmel hosting.
Speakers at the service included Vanessa, Jordan, and Shaquille O'Neal, along with Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi and Geno Auriemma, Taurasi's coach at Connecticut, where Bryant had been aspiring to play.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2020-02-07/vanessa-bryant-announces-a-celebration-of-life-for-kobe-and-gian|title=Vanessa Bryant announces 'A Celebration of Life' for Kobe and Gianna|first=Broderick|last=Turner|date=February 7, 2020|access-date=February 9, 2020|work=Los Angeles Times}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/02/07/kobe-bryant-memorial-service-staples-center/|title=Kobe Bryant public memorial service set for Feb. 24 at Staples Center|first=Desmond|last=Bieler|date=February 7, 2020|access-date=February 9, 2020|newspaper=Washington Post}}{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/06/us/kobe-bryant-memorial-service/index.html|title=Kobe Bryant memorial service will be held February 24 at Staples Center|first1=Steve|last1=Almasy|first2=Chloe|last2=Melas|date=February 7, 2020|access-date=February 9, 2020|publisher=CNN}}
Legacy
=Basketball=
In the 2020 WNBA draft, Bryant, Altobelli, and Chester were made honorary draft picks.{{Cite web |last=Hays |first=Graham |date=April 17, 2020 |title=Gianna among 3 named honorary WNBA picks |url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/29050684/gianna-bryant-alyssa-altobelli-payton-chester-honorary-picks-wnba-draft |access-date=July 11, 2023 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/29050684/gianna-bryant-alyssa-altobelli-payton-chester-honorary-picks-wnba-draft|title=Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli, Payton Chester selected as honorary picks at WNBA draft|publisher=ESPN|date=17 April 2020|accessdate=3 June 2024 |language=}}{{Cite web |date=2020-04-18 |title=2020 WNBA Draft: Gianna Bryant, teammates in fatal helicopter crash, selected as honorary draft picks |url=https://www.cbssports.com/wnba/news/2020-wnba-draft-gianna-bryant-teammates-in-fatal-helicopter-crash-selected-as-honorary-draft-picks/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=CBSSports.com |language=en}} WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said, "These athletes represented the future of the WNBA. Players who were following their passions, acquiring knowledge of the game, exhibiting skills that were way beyond their years. They represented the next generation of stars in our league, maybe what might have been called the 'Mambacita Generation'."{{Cite web |date=2020-04-17 |title=Gianna among 3 named honorary WNBA picks |url=https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/29050684/gianna-bryant-alyssa-altobelli-payton-chester-honorary-picks-wnba-draft |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} The NBA said, "Gianna Bryant was going to carry on a basketball legacy". Russ Davis, the women's basketball coach at Vanguard University in Southern California. "It's hard to predict her future, but with the way she was improving and the way she understood the game, she was going to have a bright one."{{Cite web |date=2020-01-14 |title=Gianna Bryant was going to carry on a basketball legacy |url=https://www.nba.com/news/gianna-bryant-kobe-bryant-life-future-basketball-legacy |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=NBA.com |language=en}} Bryant's school, Harbor Day School, retired her jersey, #2.{{Cite web |date=2020-02-06 |title=Gianna Bryant's No. 2 jersey retired by her school |url=https://www.wthr.com/article/sports/gianna-bryants-no-2-jersey-retired-her-school/531-b1025918-3192-495d-9e2f-756d2fee7bc9 |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=wthr.com |language=en-US}}
Bryant was expected to play for the University of Connecticut's UConn Huskies women's basketball; the team saved a seat for her at the game following her death, where they placed flowers and a UConn jersey bearing her No. 2 on the bench.{{Cite web |date=2020-01-28 |title=Gianna Bryant mourned by UConn women's basketball team before game |url=https://nypost.com/2020/01/27/gianna-bryant-mourned-by-uconn-womens-basketball-team-before-game/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Stein |first=Marc |date=2020-01-29 |title=Kobe Bryant Saw His Greatness Mirrored in Gianna |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/28/sports/basketball/kobe-bryant-gianna-shammgod.html |access-date=2024-06-01 |newspaper=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} UConn also posted to twitter, "Mambacita is forever a Husky."{{Cite web |date=2020-01-28 |title='Mambacita Is Forever A Husky': UConn Honors Kobe Bryant's Daughter Gianna - CBS Boston |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/uconn-gianna-bryant-kobe-husky/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}{{cite news |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Eliott C. |title=Gigi Bryant always wanted to be a UConn Husky. Now, she'll be one forever |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/28/us/uconn-gigi-bryant-honor/index.html |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=CNN |date=28 January 2020 |language=en}}
In 2022, the WNBA introduced an award named the Kobe & Gigi Advocacy Award: it is given out yearly to "honor someone in the basketball space for their continued advocacy for girls and women's basketball around the country."{{Cite web |last=Peterson |first=Chloe |title=Ann Meyers Drysdale, 1st woman to sign in NBA with Pacers, wins Kobe & Gigi Advocacy Award |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/basketball/wnba/2024/02/18/kobe-gigi-advocacy-award-ann-meyers-drysdale-wins-honor/72646790007/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US}}
On what would have been her 18th birthday in 2024, the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation hosted a basketball camp called "Play Gigi's Way".{{Cite web |title=Vanessa Bryant Honors Late Daughter Gianna by Hosting Basketball Camp |url=https://www.etonline.com/vanessa-bryant-honors-late-daughter-giannas-18th-birthday-by-hosting-a-basketball-camp-play-gigis |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Entertainment Tonight |language=en-US}}
=Brand name=
In May 2022, on what would have been Bryant's 16th birthday, Nike released the "Mambacita Sweet 16" shoe. It was black and white, meant to "symbolize[s] Gigi Bryant's impact on basketball and her goal to build a better, more inclusive future for the game," Nike said.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-29 |title=Remembering Gigi Bryant: Rising basketball star would've celebrated 16th birthday Sunday |url=https://www.foxla.com/news/gigi-bryant-rising-basketball-star-wouldve-celebrated-16th-birthday-may-1 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=FOX 11 |language=en-US}}
In May 2024, Nike released a new colorway of the Nike Kobe 8 "Mambacita" sneaker in honor of what would have been Gianna's 18th birthday. Profits will benefit the Mambacita Sports Foundation, dedicated to supporting underserved child athletes.{{Cite web |title=Vanessa Bryant Tells Late Daughter Gianna 'I Miss You' on What Would Have Been Her 18th Birthday |url=https://people.com/vanessa-bryant-tells-late-daughter-gianna-i-miss-you-18th-birthday-8641824 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}} Nike added butterflies meant to show the "transformational impact she had on highlighting women's sports".{{Cite web |last=News • |first=Gabrielle Chung {{!}} E! |date=2024-05-01 |title=How Vanessa Bryant celebrated late daughter Gigi on her 18th birthday |url=https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/national-international/how-vanessa-bryant-celebrated-daughter-gianna-on-what-would-have-been-her-18th-birthday/3846646/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=NBC10 Philadelphia |language=en-US}}
= Artworks =
Numerous murals were painted around Los Angeles, honoring Kobe and "Gigi" Bryant.{{cite news |last1=Sblendorio |first1=Peter |title=Kobe Bryant's oldest daughter takes photo in front of mural honoring NBA icon and sister Gianna |url=https://www.courant.com/2020/03/09/kobe-bryants-oldest-daughter-takes-photo-in-front-of-mural-honoring-nba-icon-and-sister-gianna/ |access-date=4 June 2024 |work=Hartford Courant |date=9 March 2020}}
On the second anniversary of their death, January 26, 2022, a {{cvt|160|lb}} bronze statue of Gianna and her father was placed for one day at the site of the crash. The sculptor, Dan Medina, said that he was working on a life-size version of the work and hoped to site it in downtown Los Angeles.{{cite news |title=Statue of Kobe, daughter placed at site of crash |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33154467/statue-kobe-bryant-daughter-gianna-placed-crash-site-2-year-anniversary-deaths |access-date=3 June 2024 |work=ESPN.com |date=27 January 2022 |language=en}} In February 2024, when a Statue of Kobe Bryant was installed at his team's basketball court, Gianna's mother Vanessa Bryant said that two more statues were planned for that site including "one with our beautiful daughter Gianna".{{cite news |last1=Healy |first1=Jon |title=Kobe Bryant statue unveiled, as wife Vanessa reveals late daughter Gianna will be depicted in another |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-09/kobe-bryant-statue-unveiled-at-la-lakers-home-court/103447384 |access-date=3 June 2024 |work=ABC News |date=9 February 2024 |language=en-AU}}
A statue depicting her and her father embracing was unveiled on August 2, 2024, near Crypto.com Arena.{{Cite web |title=Lakers Honor Kobe and Gianna Bryant With Rotblatt Amrany Sculpture {{!}} Studio Rotblatt Amrany |url=https://rotblattamrany.com/kobe-and-gigi-unveiled-in-ceremony/ |access-date=2024-08-04 |website=rotblattamrany.com}}{{Cite news |last=Golliver |first=Ben |date=2024-08-03 |title=Lakers unveil statue honoring Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/08/02/kobe-bryant-gianna-statue-lakers-crypto-arena/ |access-date=2024-08-04 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite web |last=Bernabe |first=Angeline Jane |title=New Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant statue celebrates the basketball legend's love for his daughters |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/new-kobe-bryant-gianna-bryant-statue-celebrates-basketball/story?id=112526949 |access-date=2024-08-04 |website=ABC News |language=en}} The pose was inspired by various moments from 2019 of the two sitting courtside at numerous Los Angeles Lakers games and one Brooklyn Nets game.
References
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{{Kobe Bryant}}
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Category:American sportspeople of Mexican descent
Category:American women's basketball players
Category:Accidental deaths in California
Category:Basketball players from Orange County, California
Category:Burials at Pacific View Memorial Park
Category:Victims of helicopter accidents or incidents in the United States
Category:Deaths from fire in the United States
Category:African-American children