Kobe Bryant raved about his daughter, Gianna Bryant, in his final interview with the Los Angeles Times. The celebrity father celebrated his teen daughter for her dedication to basketball during his talk with Arash Markazi.
“It’s a trip to see her move,” Kobe told Arash. “And the expressions she makes, it’s a trip,” the celebrity father added. “You know, the genetics. Genetics is a real thing man. What I love about Gigi is her curiosity about the game.”
“She’s very curious about the game. And even in a very heated situation in a game where it is very competitive and back and forth, she can detach herself and come over and ask a very specific question. You know, which is not common.”
Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant died in a helicopter crash last month. The NBA legend and his daughter were two of nine who passed away in the accident. Kobe Bryant was in the middle of building a second career in publishing at the time of his death. The celebrity father already had two popular children’s books on the market meant to encourage kids to work hard in life.
Kobe Bryant expressed excitement over his new career before his untimely death because it gave him a chance to spend more time at home with his family instead of in practice or on the road.
“I have gone through 20 years of the majority of my career with my kids and Natalia and Gianna without being able to have that consistently,” the NBA legend said of the additional quality time he had with his wife and kids since retirement.
“For me to make a trip up to the Staples Center, that means I’m missing the opportunity to spend another night with my kids, and I know how fast it goes, because Natalia is 16, and Gianna’s 13. So that time came and went.”
Kobe Bryant left behind his wife, Vanessa Laine Bryant, and three kids – Natalia, Bianka, and Capri. His memorial is planned for February 24, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Photo: Kobe Bryant/Instagram
