Thank you all so much for being here. It means so much to us. First, I'd like to thank everyone for coming today. The outpouring of love and support that my family has felt from around the world has been so uplifting. Thank you so much for all your prayers. I'd like to talk about both Kobe and Gigi, but I'll start with my baby girl first.
Gianna Bryant
My baby girl. Gianna Bryant is an amazingly sweet and gentle soul. She was very thoughtful and always kissed me good night and kissed me good morning.
She loved to bake. She loved putting a smile on everyone's face. Last August she made a beautiful birthday cake for her daddy, and it had fondant and looked like it had blue agate crystals. Kobe's birthday cake looked like it was professionally decorated. She made the best chocolate chip cookies.
Gigi was confident but not in an impolite way. At school she offered the boy's basketball coaches to help give the boys' basketball team some pointers, like the triangle offense. She was very much like her daddy and they both liked helping people learn new things and master them. They were great teachers.
Gigi was very sweet. She always made sure everybody was okay and she was our shepherd. She always kept our family together. She loved family traditions, and family movie night was important to her. She always looked out for everyone. She was very much in tune with our feelings and wanted the best for us.
Gianna knew how to read, speak and write Mandarin (普通话), she knew Spanish and had great grades and kept them up all while becoming a great basketball player.
Gigi would have most likely become the best player in the WNBA. She would have made a huge difference for women's basketball. Gigi was motivated to change the way everyone viewed women in sports.
She was a beautiful, kind, happy, silly, thoughtful and loving sister and daughter. She was so full of life and had so much more to offer this world. I cannot imagine life without her. Mommy, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and Daddy love you so much, Gigi. I will miss your sweet handmade cards, your sweet kisses, and your gorgeous smile. I miss you, all of you, every day. I love you.
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