How Kobe Bryant’s Daughter Gianna Was Ready to Carry on His Basketball Legacy

The world was in collective shock on Sunday, Jan. 26 upon hearing the news that NBA legend Kobe Bryant had died as a result of a helicopter crash. Kobe’s daughter, Gianna, a rising basketball star in her own right, was also on board the helicopter at the time of the crash and died as a result. Now, shortly after the tragic news, a clip of Kobe on Jimmy Kimmel Live has resurfaced in which he explains that Gianna was ready to carry on his legacy.

During his appearance on the late-night talk show program in October 2018, Kobe discussed how he was coaching his daughter’s basketball team. When host Jimmy Kimmel asked if Gianna had aspirations to play in the WNBA, the Laker replied that “she does, for sure.” As the athlete went on to explain, his daughter was vocal about being the one to carry on his legacy, despite fans who said that Kobe needed to have a son to “carry on the tradition.”

“The best thing that happens is when we go out, and fans come up to me, she’ll be standing next to me and they’ll be like, ‘You gotta have a boy. You and [Vanessa] gotta have a boy. Gotta have someone carry on the tradition,’” Kobe told Kimmel. “She’s like, ‘Oy, I got this! You don’t need no boy for that, I got this.’”

“That’s right. Yes you do,” Kobe said about his daughter, beaming with pride as he did so. This video serves as a sorrowful reminder that Kobe and Gianna are no longer around to see the teenager ultimately carry on her dad’s legacy. However, it’s more than clear that neither Kobe nor Gianna’s legacies will be forgotten anytime soon. Following the news of Kobe and Gianna’s deaths, numerous individuals have spoken out about the tragedy.

Kobe’s dear friend, and his former teammate on the Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal, released a statement about the loss of his “brother” and his “niece.”

“There’s no words to express the pain Im going through with this tragedy of loosing my neice Gigi [and] my brother @kobebryant,” he wrote on Twitter. “I love u and u will be missed. My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. IM SICK RIGHT NOW.”

Kobe and Gianna were tragically killed in a helicopter crash that occurred on Sunday, Jan. 26 in Calabasas, California, per TMZ. The father and daughter, along with seven other individuals, were on their way to a Mamba Sports Academy game when the crash took place, which, unfortunately, resulted in the deaths of everyone on board.