Monday marked the fourth anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s final NBA game. And to commemorate what’s gone on to become Mamba Day, Vanessa Bryant paid tribute to her late husband’s life and legacy with a touching Instagram post.
“My husband worked his ass off for 20 years. Gave it his all,” she began. “All he wanted was to spend time with our girls and me to make up for lost time. He wanted to be there for every single milestone and special moment in our girls lives. He only got to enjoy 3 years and 9 months of retirement.”
She continued: “We had 2 more daughters, he won an Oscar, he opened Granity studios, he became a 5x best selling author and coached Gianna’s basketball team in that time. She worked hard and gave her all 7 days a week just like her daddy. I wish I could go back to that morning, every day. I wish they had a normal local game on 1/26. Life truly isn’t fair. This is just senseless.”
In her post, Vanessa included a five-minute montage of Kobe’s final game on April 13, 2016; in which the 5-time NBA champion exploded for 60 points at 37-years-old despite the Lakers already being eliminated from playoff contention at the time. His legendary send-off served as a testament to his signature “Mamba Mentality” and cemented his status as one of the greatest players in the history of professional sports.
In the months since Kobe and Gianna’s tragic deaths in January, Vanessa has inspired millions with her strength and perseverance. She’s also provided insight into her family’s healing process courtesy of candid social media posts.
On Sunday, she shared how her family spent their first Easter without her late husband and daughter.
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The mark Kobe left on the world is indelible, and this was a beautiful tribute from the one person who truly knew just how much the 18-time NBA All-Star sacrificed to accomplish so much in his lifetime.