Vanessa Bryant Shares Emotional Tribute On Late Daughter's Birth Anniversary: 'Love You Always'

Vanessa Bryant has penned a sweet tribute to her late daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant, on what would have been the latter's 16th birthday.

Vanessa uploaded an animated sketch of Gigi on her Instagram page Sunday and hailed the daughter's "greatness" and generosity in a one-minute video, which also features a sketch of her late husband, Kobe Bryant.

"Dear Gianna, from the first time you imagined winning a WNBA championship, I knew one thing was real. You were special," a woman's voice narrated. "You came from greatness, but it was never about what you inherited. It was about what you gave to others. When someone stands up for gender equality, I see you fighting alongside of them."

The short also features a sketch of Kobe, who died in a plane crash in 2020.

The short clip shows Gigi in her Mamba jersey, smiling and dribbling the basketball before making a jump shot. In one slide, Gigi is shown leaning on Kobe's shoulder as he gives her a kiss on the forehead.

"It was about what you gave to others. When someone stands up for gender equality, I see you fighting alongside them. And every time someone plays her hardest, I know that's you on the court. Love you always, basketball," the voiceover continued.

The short video tribute was made in the same style as Kobe's 2018 award-winning animated short film, "Dear Basketball."

The 39-year-old mother captioned her post, "Love you always! Happy Birthday, Gianna." She included the hashtags "Mambacita" and "2," Gigi's nickname and jersey number.

Vanessa's friends flocked to the comments section and praised her for her beautiful tribute to Gigi.

"Vanessa this was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Happy birthday Gigi thanks for continuing to inspire," WNBA star Candace Parker wrote.

Kelly Rowland dropped multiple black heart emojis and wrote, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIGI!!!" Singer Ciara said, "So beautiful V. Happy Birthday Gigi! Always in our hearts. #2 Forever."

Gigi's older sister, 19-year-old Natalia, also posted an Instagram tribute to her sister Sunday.

"Happy sweet sixteen my dearest gigi♥️I love you to the moon and back _ forever & always," Natalia said.