Natalia Bryant just turned 17 when her father, Kobe Bryant, and one of her younger sisters, Gigi Bryant, died in a helicopter crash. The eldest daughter of the now legendary basketball player was appreciated by many for her grace and strength during those difficult times. Since the incident, she has slowly but surely become her mother, Vanessa Bryant’s ‘right hand’. The University of Southern California student has become a celebrity in her own right.
During Bryant’s last Halloween before his death, he shared a photo of his family dressed as the main characters in the “Wizard of Oz” on Twitter/X. The model recaptured that moment by using the same photo in one of her Instagram stories. Her late father captioned the lasting moment with a simple:
“HAPPY HALLOWEEN”
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![Natalia Bryant posted Kobe Bryant's last Halloween with the family.](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/c5650-16987999361042-1920.jpg)
In the photo, Kobe Bryant played ‘The Wizard’ while Natalia Bryant was dressed as ‘The Scarecrow’. Vanessa Bryant may have stolen the show as ‘The Wicked Witch of the West’. She held up little Capri, who was supposedly ‘the cowardly lion’. Gigi Bryant, predictably, stood next to her father as “The Tin Man.” Bianka Bryant was dressed as ‘Dorothy’.
Unknowingly to the family, it would be their last Halloween. A few months later, tragedy struck and shook not only the Bryants, but the entire sports world.
Over the years, Natalia Bryant has publicly honored his father. In March 2023, during the unveiling of Kobe Bryant’s handprints at the TCL Chinese Theater, she said this about her father:
“Dad, you are an icon, a legend, the storyteller and most importantly, the best girl daddy any young woman could ever dream of. I am honored to be here to represent you and our family, and we are extremely proud of you. We will love you forever and ever. Love, Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, Capri and Mom.”
The LA Lakers icon and Gigi Bryant may have passed away, but they are still alive as ever for Natalia Bryant and her family.
Natalia Bryant embodies the resilience and perseverance of Kobe Bryant
For a 17-year-old teen who went through what she did in 2020, Natalia Bryant showed the “Mamba Mentality.” Kobe Bryant would have been proud of the way she handled adversity and pressure.
The eldest of the Bryant children is now a sophomore at USC and has a budding career as a model. She shared in a 2021 interview that she wears a necklace that always reminds her of her father and one of her sisters.
This is what she said about that special gift from her father:
“It says, ‘Dedication makes dreams come true.’ And it’s a quote from my father. So it’s something I live by.”
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