LeBron James left a message under Vanessa Bryant’s Instagram post, celebrating the birthday of her and Kobe Bryant’s late daughter, Gianna. She was the second of Vanessa and Kobe’s four daughters.
On May 1, 2026, which would have marked Gianna’s 20th birthday, Bryant shared a picture with her on Instagram and wrote a message in the caption.
“Happy birthday to my sweet baby angel, Gianna. Words can’t express how much I love and miss you, mamacita. Mommy loves you so much!”
Gianna Bryant died in a helicopter crash along with her father and seven others on January 26, 2020. She was 13 at the time of her death.
Many celebrities and athletes, including LeBron James, reacted to Vanessa Bryant’s post on Instagram, leaving messages in the post’s comments section.
“❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,” James wrote.
Gianna, along with her teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, was made an honorary pick at the 2020 WNBA draft. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said:
“These athletes represented the future of the WNBA. Players who were following their passions, acquiring knowledge of the game, exhibiting skills that were way beyond their years. They represented the next generation of stars in our league, maybe what might have been called the ‘Mambacita Generation.’”
Kobe and Gianna Bryant were flying to his Mamba Sports Academy, where the five-time NBA champion was set to coach his daughter’s team in a girls’ basketball tournament.
Lebron James Reveals How Kobe Bryant Used To “Trick The S***” Out Of Him
Speaking in a video with Bob Does Sports in April, LeBron James discussed Kobe Bryant’s hand signals, saying that the Lakers legend used them to trick him during their many battles against each other.
“I swear he used to trick the s*** out of me,” James said. “I’m like, ‘what play is he running? What the f*** play is Kobe runnin?’ Then every time they swing the ball to him, he goes iso. This ain’t no play, this guy trying to kill me.”
LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers, signing with them as a free agent in 2018. He has been with the team for eight seasons, leading it to the NBA championship in 2020.
James was key in the Lakers’ first-round triumph against the Houston Rockets in the 2026 playoffs, averaging 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists in six games.
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