Kobe Bryant: ‘Girl Dad’ Trends on Twitter After Lakers Legend’s Death

In honor of former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who died alongside seven other people in a helicopter crash on Sunday, the term “Girl Dad” is trending on Twitter. After retiring from professional basketball, Bryant spent nearly all his time with his wife and four daughters, but had a special connection to Gianna due to her desire to follow in his footsteps as a basketball player. The helicopter they were aboard was on the way to take them to one of Gianna’s games. Now, to honor the pair, Twitter users are sharing photos of themselves with the “Girl Dad” hashtag to pay tribute to Bryant’s influence as a father, as he once said in an interview, “I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad.”

In a post sharing a photo of himself with his daughters, journalist Ira Schoffel wrote, “After our 1st, 2nd and 3rd daughters, so many people would come up and say, “Are you gonna try again for a boy?” (Don’t say that, people) Having any child is a blessing. But I swear I wouldn’t want it any other way. These 3 and their mom are so much more than I deserve. #GirlDad.”

“I love all the #girldad posts. My dad was my world! Losing him almost 19 years ago, still hurts. So hold your little girls close to you!” another user said, sharing a photo of herself with her father.

“Coming from a family of 4 daughters constantly hearing ‘your poor dad’ or ‘your dad probably wanted a boy’ it warms my heart to see #girldad trending & knowing the reason why,” someone else commented.

“Honestly, I’ve got the most awesome daughter alive. She’s smart, fierce, vivacious, has a huge heart and a warmth about her that can’t be put in words. I don’t talk about her enough on here,” another proud dad tweeted.

Bryant was 41 years old at the time of his death. The cause of the helicopter crash is still under investigation.