Tag: Gianna Bryant

Kobe Bryant had already made plans for …

Kobe Bryant had already made plans for his daughter, Gianna — AKA GiGi — to follow in his legendary footsteps by filing to trademark her very own hoops nickname. TMZ Sports obtained the paperwork Kobe filed for “Mambacita” on Dec. 30, 2019. Of course, the name is both a tip of the hat to GiGi’s father — the Black Mamba — and also to her own growing prowess on the hardcourt. According to the docs … the plan was to put “Mambacita” on all sorts of sportswear — shirts, shorts, hats, jerseys, sweatpants, sweatshirts and hoodies.

Georgia football greats take to social media after Kobe Bryant’s tragic death

Georgia football and basketball players took to social media to react to the news of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant’s tragic passing.

The world went quiet on Sunday when news struck that a helicopter carrying NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna (13) and nine others had crashed, leaving everybody on board dead.

Bryant, aside from being an all-time great in the sport of basketball, was one of the most iconic athletes of the 21st century. If you ever played a sport, regardless of which one, you likely idolized Bryant.

I played soccer growing up, a sport Bryant was very fond of. And before every game, it was a Kobe Bryant highlight video that got my blood pumping. I did not watch the video solely for his basketball skill, but because of the passion that was visibly pouring out of #8 or #24 in every play he made. Kobe was more than just a great basketball player, but it was his leadership, his drive, his never-quit mindset that would remind me to leave it all on the field every single game.

It was that Mama Mentality.

And that’s what was so inspiring about Kobe – that’s what touched all of us more than anything. To every athlete, no matter the sport, we can all learn something from the way Kobe approached life, how he valued time with his family and how we was laser-focused on becoming the best basketball player he could could possibly be from day one.

On Sunday, current and former Georgia football and basketball players felt the shockwaves of Bryant’s death and were obviously emotional. Many took to social media to honor the Black Mamba.

These are players who, like many of us, used Kobe as motivation to go to the gym when they really did not want to. They looked up to Kobe for how he commanded respect from anybody he played with or against. These are all players who wanted to strike fear in the opposition the way Kobe did 82 times a year.

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The People’s Champ.

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‘78 .. 💔

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🖤🖤🐐

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Damn!!! Rip 🐐

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Geno Atkins enjoys another milestone surrounded with family.

 

Saturday was the final time Young spoke …

Saturday was the final time Young spoke to Kobe and Gianna. A source told The Athletic prior to the Hawks’ game against the Washington Wizards on Sunday night that Kobe and Gianna FaceTimed with Young on Saturday to congratulate him for being named a starter in the All-Star Game. Young didn’t want to divulge all of the details of their conversation but did confirm that he spoke with the father-daughter duo the day before they tragically died, alongside seven others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“One of the last conversations we had, …

“One of the last conversations we had, man, he was just telling me how he’s seen my game progress,” Young said before he paused for eight seconds as he choked up. “He was just happy for me. He was saying how proud he was of me and how he wants to continue seeing me be a role model for kids growing up and just for Gigi and all of the kids looking up to me and continue to inspire these kids and continue to play my heart out. That was one of the last things he said to me.”