Vanessa Bryant reacts to Lakers win: ‘Wish Kobe and Gianna were here to see’
The widow of late L.A. Lakers great Kobe Bryant congratulated his team on their 17th championship.
The widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant congratulated the Los Angeles Lakers, her late husband’s longtime team, on their 17th championship victory.
Vanessa Bryant shared an old photo of Kobe and Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka in her Instagram story, referring to him as, “Uncle P.”
“Congratulations @Lakers,” she wrote, “Kobe was right, RP! ‘Stay the course-blockout the noise’ —@kobebryant.”
She added: “Wish Kobe and Gianna were here to see this.”
The Lakers dedicated the 2020 season to Kobe Bryant, the basketball icon who died in a helicopter crash in January alongside his 13-year-old daughter and seven others.
The unprecedented season was played inside of a “bubble” at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, which was created to protect players and staff from the coronavirus pandemic.
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Led by LeBron James, the Lakers were crowned champions Sunday night after defeating the Miami Heat in a 106-93 victory in Game Six.
During Game Five of this year’s finals, the Lakers wore the Black Mamba uniforms that Bryant designed for the team after his retirement in 2016.
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The team also wore the uniforms in Game Two and were scheduled to wear them again if the series went to seven.
At around midnight, Vanessa Bryant also posted a picture of Kobe and Gianna taken after the Lakers won the championship in 2009 for #NationalFatherDaughterDay, which is observed on Oct. 11. She included an additional wish of congratulations to the Lakers.
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Vanessa Bryant has faced additional challenges since the passing of her husband and daughter. Last month, her mother alleged that she put her out of a home and took back a car. However, the widow responded that she remains financially supportive of her mother, who she claims has not been present for her kin since the January helicopter crash.
Additionally, Vanessa Bryant filed a suit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office after reports surfaced that several deputies were sharing graphic photos of the victims and crash that killed her spouse and child. The lawsuit is seeking damages for negligence, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Read More: New California law prompted by crash that killed Kobe Bryant
Bryant’s attorney, Luis Li, said in a statement that the action “is about accountability and about preventing this disgraceful behavior from happening to other families in the future who have suffered a loss.”
On Sept. 30, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, signed the “Kobe Bryant Law,” which makes it illegal for first responders to shoot unauthorized photos of dead bodies at accidents and crime scenes.
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