As the world becomes aware of women’s basketball’s fast increasing popularity, Vanessa Bryant is honoring her late husband Kobe Bryant’s commitment to supporting the sport.

Vanessa, 41, praised Kobe for his support of women’s basketball in a post she shared on Instagram Stories from the LegendsOfSport account.

Five images of Kobe at different sports events were posted on the social media platform. Among them was a picture of the former Laker posing with Magic Johnson and Lisa Leslie, a former Los Angeles Sparks player.

The first line of the post’s description quoted Kobe as saying, “The @wnba is a beautiful game to watch.”


“For this week’s #MambaMondays, we’re showcasing Kobe Bryant’s advocacy for women’s basketball,” the message added. “Congratulations to all of the women who put on an excellent tournament this year!”

Vanessa posted three pictures from the carousel to her Instagram Stories and added six red hearts to the post’s comments.
She posted two pictures of herself and Kobe sitting courtside at Los Angeles Sparks games with their daughters.

The Bryant family watched the Los Angeles Sparks women’s team play the Minnesota Lynx in the 2016 WNBA Finals.

The third featured Kobe and Gianna at a Lakers game on December 19, which was sadly their final appearance at the storied Staples Center in Los Angeles. Since then, the arena has gone by the moniker Crypto.com Arena.

As he speaks with Gianna, a rising basketball player in her own right, Kobe is seen in the picture sporting an orange WNBA hoodie to demonstrate his support for the women’s league.
The cherished NBA icon stated to The Los Angeles Times just prior to the tragic helicopter crash that claimed Kobe and Gianna’s lives that he believes a number of WNBA players could compete in the NBA with males.

At the time, Bryant stated, “I think there are a couple of players who could play in the NBA right now, honestly.” “There are a lot of skilled players who could pull it off.”


Commissioner Cathy Engelbert selected Gianna as an honorary draftee in the 2020 WNBA draft, along with her colleagues at Mamba Academy, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, who also perished in the collision.

Regarding the girls, Englebert remarked, “These athletes represented the future of the WNBA.” “Players who were strengthening skills well beyond their years, learning the game, and pursuing their passion.” They stand for our league’s future generation of stars.