The Los Angeles Dodgers paid tribute to the late basketball legend with a special event that included his daughter Bianka throwing the first pitch and a Lakers-themed celebration.
- August 26, 2024
AceShowbiz - Kobe Bryant's daughter Bianka, 7, had the honor of throwing the first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game on Sunday, August 25th, in a ceremony honoring her late father. Joined by her mother, Vanessa Bryant, and sisters Natalia and Capri, Bianka delivered an impressive pitch that was caught by Mookie Betts at Dodgers Stadium. The Bryant family wore matching Dodgers jerseys with the number 24 on the back in memory of Kobe, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020.
The Kobe-themed night was part of a special day dedicated to the basketball icon, which took place days after what would have been his 46th birthday. Attendees received special-edition Kobe jerseys featuring snake print and his iconic numbers 8 and 24. The event also coincided with Kobe Bryant Day, which had been officially declared as August 24th in Los Angeles and Orange County.
The celebration included a pre-game ceremony where Lakers legends Michael Cooper, A.C. Green, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Mychal Thompson and James Worthy threw out the first pitch. The night culminated in a Lakers-themed drone show that lit up the sky.
The tribute to Bryant comes just weeks after a new statue of the Lakers great was unveiled downtown, honoring the special bond between Kobe and his daughter Gianna. The statue depicts Kobe with his arm around Gianna and angel wings in the background, symbolizing their shared love of basketball and the Bryant family's support for women and girls in sports.
