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.
The Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6, with a solid 106-93 win, and in an Instagram story, Vanessa Bryant congratulated the team and general manager Rob Pelinka. "Kobe was right," she said. "'Stay the course — block out the noise.' Wish Kobe and Gianna were here to see this."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The team honored Kobe Bryant throughout the finals — during Game 5, they wore jerseys he designed, and they shouted his nickname Mamba when breaking huddles, The Guardian reports. After Sunday night's win, Anthony Davis said that Bryant was "a big brother to all of us, and we did this for him."
-
Ukraine: Donald Trump pivots againIn the Spotlight US president apparently warned Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept Vladimir Putin’s terms or face destruction during fractious face-to-face
-
Autumn Budget: will Rachel Reeves raid the rich?Talking Point To fill Britain’s financial black hole, the Chancellor will have to consider everything – except an income tax rise
-
Sudoku medium: October 25, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
