On the one-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s death, Pau Gasol paid tribute to his former teammate with a moving Instagram post that featured several photos of Kobe and his daughter Gianna.
“I miss you, hermano … not a day goes by that you are not present in what I do,” wrote Gasol.”Your spirit, your drive, your ambition, your love … continues to shine in my life and in many others.”
Gasol and Kobe played together on the Lakers after the Spanish superstar was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to Los Angeles in 2008. They proved to be one of the most lethal duos in the NBA, winning two titles and forming a bond that would last beyond their time on the court together.
Gasol has even been there for Kobe’s wife Vanessa and three daughters, Natalia, 18, Bianka, 4, and 18-month-old Capri. When Gasol and his wife, Catherine McDonnell, had their first child in September, they named her Elisabet Gianna Gasol in honor of Gianna.
“I wish you could’ve met our little Elisabet Gianna,” Gasol wrote in the post. “We will make sure she knows where her middle name comes from … how extraordinary, loving and inspiring her cousin Gigi and her uncle Kobe were.”
Kobe, Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on the morning of Jan. 26, 2020. The news of Kobe’s death sent shockwaves through the NBA, as he remained one of the most revered figures in the NBA after his retirement.
