Natalia Bryant Shares Touching Photo To Honor Sister Gianna’s Birthday

Natalia Bryant shared a touching photo on Instagram Friday to honor her sister, Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, on what would have been Gianna’s 14th birthday. 

The 17-year-old posted a photo of her hugging Gianna, who died in a helicopter crash in January that also killed their father, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, and seven other people. 

“Happy 14th Birthday Gigi!” Natalia Bryant wrote in the post’s caption. “I miss your smile everyday but I know you’re always smiling down on us from heaven with daddy. I LOVE YOU.”

Vanessa Bryant also commemorated Gianna’s birthday on Instagram Friday by posting a sweet photo of her daughter decked out in Mickey Mouse attire. 

“Mommy loves you more than I can ever show you,” she wrote. “You are part of MY SOUL forever.”

In another post, Vanessa Bryant encouraged her Instagram followers to wear red on Friday since her daughter “loved to wear a red bow in all of her school pictures.”

“To commemorate Gigi’s birthday today, please consider wearing red, caption an act of kindness or show how you will play Gigi’s way since she always gave everything she did her all and led with kindness,” she added. 

In April, Gianna and Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester — her basketball teammates who were also killed in the January helicopter crash — were selected as honorary picks for the 2020 WNBA draft.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a video announcing the honor that the three teenagers were athletes who “represented the future of the WNBA.”