Kobe’s Legacy Lives On As Daughter Natalia Honors Him at Dodgers’ Lakers Night

I dedicate this to Kobe Bryant.

 

Natalia Bryant, the eldest daughter of the late NBA legend, threw out the first pitch at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ annual “Lakers Night” on Friday in his honor and on behalf of the city he played for.

Natalia, a 20-year-old model, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game against the Atlanta Braves, as the MLB team had stated earlier in the week.

 

Natalia threw the ball to right fielder Mookie Betts, who was donning Kobe Bryant’s legendary No. 24 Lakers jersey, while wearing a Dodgers jersey with one of her dad’s Lakers numbers (No. 8) stitched on it.

 

Natalia stood a few steps in front of the pitcher’s mound and tossed a steady ball right into Betts’ glove; her mom Vanessa Bryant wrote about it on Instagram shortly afterward. Betts got to her feet and walked up to Natalia for a jubilant embrace.

A picture of Kobe and Natalia at a Dodgers game from many years ago was shown on the stadium’s screens before the toss. Natalia posted an Instagram photo of herself in front of it with the message, “LA Love.”

 

Along with her blue Kobe Nike sneakers, Kobe’s eldest daughter experienced a sweet moment on the field with her mother and younger sisters, Capri Kobe, 4, and Bianka Bella, 6.

As the Associated Press reports, Bianka exclaimed “It’s time for Dodger baseball” and the back of Vanessa’s jersey said “Queen Mamba” in tribute to Kobe’s Black Mamba moniker.

Kobe, his daughter Gianna (then 13), and seven others perished in a helicopter аccident in January 2020.

The Dodgers organization donated $100,000 to Kobe and Gianna’s family foundation, the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, before the game. The website states that the foundation was established to “make a positive impact for underserved athletes and girls and boys in sports.”

Former Lakers teammate Pau Gasol, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fаme last month, paid tribute to Kobe and his daughter during his speech.

During his acceptance speech, the six-time NBA All-Star paused to reflect on his close friend, whose influence “took my game to the next level.”

“[He] showed me how hard you have to work and the mentality that you have to have in order to be the best,” Gasol added, referencing Bryant’s dedication to his team and leadership role.

“I wouldn’t be here without you, brother,” he continued. I really, really wish you and Gigi could have been here to celebrate with us today. For the love of God, I miss you.

 

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