Vanessa Bryant Called Husband Kobe and Daughter Gianna ‘Twins’ in NBA Photo of the Two

The resemblance between Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, didn’t go unnoticed. While both were tragically killed in a helicopter crash Sunday morning near Calabasas, CA, their similarities were regularly noted by Bryant’s wife, Vanessa. As noted by Us Weekly, Vanessa Bryant even posted a photo of the father/daughter pair several weeks ago pointing it out.

“So cute! Twins. (same walk),” she captioned a photo back in November.

Days after her husband and daughter were killed along with seven others, Vanessa Bryant posted a heartfelt tribute to her lost family on Instagram just yesterday. In the lengthy caption, she addressed a number of points, from what gives her comfort to urging fans to help support the families affected by the other victims who lost their lives, as well as how she plans to honor the memory of both Kobe and Gianna.

“There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now,” she wrote. “I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon. I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them.”

The crash occurred around 10 AM on Sunday, Jan. 26. In addition to the NBA legend and his daughter, the aircraft was also carrying John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, and pilot Ara Zobayan. The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the crash site, though all nine of the victims’ remains have been identified.

Since the investigation began, witnesses have reported his craft was flying irregularly prior to the crash, as several local pilots have offered up theories that Zobayan may have misjudged the mountainous terrain he was flying over. While the helicopter itself wasn’t equipped with a black box, the NTSB has asked for people to email any photos of what the weather looked like that morning to witness@ntsb.gov.

Kobe and Gianna are survived by the former Lakers’ wife Vanessa and three of the couple’s daughters, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.