Gianna Bryant is remembered by the women's basketball team at the University of Connecticut following her passing in a tragic accident with her superstar father.
- January 29, 2020
AceShowbiz - Kobe Bryant's daughter Gianna was honoured by the women's basketball team at the University of Connecticut, after the 13-year-old and her dad died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, January 26, 2020.
Ahead of the Huskies' game against the USA Women's National Basketball team on Monday, the players paid tribute to the teenager, her NBA (National Basketball Association) star father, and the seven other people who lost their lives in the accident.
The team laid out a Huskies jersey over a chair that had been set up courtside, along with a bouquet of white flowers, in honour of the aspiring basketball player.
The jersey itself featured the number 2, which was Gianna's number while playing on the basketball team for the Mamba Academy - where she, Kobe, and the other passengers were travelling to when the incident occurred.
"Mambacita is forever a Husky," the team wrote on Twitter, along with a photo of their tribute to Gianna.
The teenager was a huge fan of the Huskies and had frequently expressed a hope to play on the team in the coming years.
ESPN also reported they honoured Kobe and Gianna with a 24-second moment of silence before the game began - referencing the NBA icon's number that he wore while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Kobe and Gianna meant a lot to our program. Our thoughts are with the Bryant family," the team wrote on Sunday afternoon when news of the crash broke. "Mamba Mentality will live on forever, but they are deeply missed."
