Vanessa Bryant congratulates Lakers on win: 'Wish Kobe and Gianna were here to see this'

Vanessa, Kobe, Gianna, Natalia, and Bianka Bryant in 2017.
(Image credit: Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images)

Vanessa Bryant congratulated the Los Angeles Lakers after the team won their 17th NBA championship on Sunday night, saying she wished her late husband, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, and their daughter, Gianna Bryant, could be there to join the celebration.

Kobe and Gianna, 13, were killed in January along with seven others when their helicopter crashed during foggy weather. Kobe won five NBA titles during his 20 years as a Laker, and the team dedicated this season to him. Gianna was also a talented basketball star, and wanted to play at the University of Connecticut.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.