Vanessa Bryant delivered an emotional speech at Monday’s memorial service for her late husband Kobe and daughter Gianna, and it was particularly gut-wrenching to hear her talk about the impact Gianna would have had on women’s basketball.
Vanessa spoke about what a great athlete and better person Gianna was, and she said the 13-year-old would often give pointers to the boys basketball coach and players at her school. Vanessa said Gianna even offered to teach them the famous triangle offense.
“At school she offered the boy’s basketball coaches to help give the boy’s basketball team some pointers. Like the triangle offense.”
Vanessa Bryant remembers her daughter Gianna. pic.twitter.com/A6ECE9bgPc
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) February 24, 2020
Vanessa also spoke about how Gianna would have been the best player in the WNBA and made a huge difference for women’s basketball.
"Gigi would have most likely become the best player in the WNBA." Vanessa Bryant talks about her late daughter Gianna Bryant and how "she would have difference for women's basketball" https://t.co/b82CCpJI0w #KobeFarewell pic.twitter.com/472RDjKeM2
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 24, 2020
One of the most important parts of Kobe’s legacy was the impact he made in the women’s basketball community. Gianna was, by all indications, as passionate about basketball as her dad, and Vanessa’s speech was a good illustration of that. We know how highly Kobe spoke of his daughter’s basketball ability, and the inability for Gianna to fulfill her potential is one of the many reasons last month’s helicopter crash was such a horrific tragedy.
Also from the Kobe and Gianna Memorial:
Michael Jordan cracks hilarious ‘Crying Jordan’ meme joke
Video: Shaq drops F-bomb on live TV during Kobe Bryant memorial
Video: Watch Vanessa Bryant’s full speech about Gianna and Kobe at memorial
Vanessa Bryant says daughter Gianna would have become best player in WNBA
Diana Taurasi takes funny shot at LeBron during Kobe Bryant memorial
Geno Auriemma zings Kobe Bryant about being ‘uncoachable,’ not passing
