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Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa has broken her silence, three days after the death of her NBA star husband and the couple’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna ‘Gigi’ Bryant in a helicopter crash.
VIDEO: Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna killed in California helicopter crash
Vanessa took to Instagram to thank fans for their support in an emotional tribute.
“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time,” Vanessa wrote alongside a photo of the whole family together.
“Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.
“We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones, and we share in their grief intimately.
“There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon.
“I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever.
“Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality.
“To honour our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org.
“To further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org.
“Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me. #Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family.”
The 41-year-old retired basketball player and his daughter were amongst the nine passengers in the private helicopter travelling in the city of Calabasas, California when it crashed and burst into flames, according to TMZ.
Kobe and Vanessa shared four children together, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.
Bryant was travelling to the Mamba Sports Academy with his daughter for her basketball game. Gianna was expected to play in the game and Bryant was expected to coach.
“Individuals that saw the aircraft said it was coming down at a fairly significant rate of speed and impacted the ground on the hillside,” Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Tony Imbrenda told reporters.
The five-time NBA champion was widely considered one of the greatest players in the game’s history.
Bryant entered the NBA league straight out of high school where he spent his entire career as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA also released a statement, saying it was “devastated” by Byrant’s death.
“Words cannot express his impact on our Players, the NBA and the game of basketball,” the league said.
“This is a monumental loss for the entire basketball community and our hearts are quite simply broken.
“We send love and prayers out to his wife Vanessa and the entire family.”
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