How did Kobe Bryant & Vanessa Bryant meet? Knowing more about Lakers legend's rendezvous with Queen Mamba
One of the most inspiring aspects of Kobe Bryant's life was his dedication as a loving husband to Vanessa, which blossomed into a lasting relationship. Ever since the couple met, they've always been together, and their union resulted in them having four lovely daughters.
The couple first met when they were both fairly young, Kobe was 21 and Vanessa was 17 in 1999. At that time, Vanessa was working gigs for music videos for artists like Snoop Dogg. Diehard Kobe fans know that the Black Mamba had a brief rap career.
Vanessa was booked for a music video shoot where the shooting guard was a part of. According to the five-time champion, it was love at first sight.
They got together and were quickly engaged after six months. A year later, the two became a married couple.
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Kobe Bryant and Vanessa's journey as a couple
In 2003, Vanessa gave birth to their first daughter, Natalia.
Kobe and Vanessa have had hurdles in their marriage. The LA Lakers star was charged with sexual assault after he was accused of misconduct. The charges were later dropped but left a stain on his legacy.
Two years later, Vanessa suffered a miscarriage. According to news sources, she had an experience of ectopic pregnancy. Good tidings welcomed them a year later after Vanessa birthed their second daughter, Gianna.
One of their biggest hurdles known to the public was in 2011. Vanessa filed for divorce, and according to her, "irreconcilable differences" were the cause of their separation. In 2013, they confirmed that they'd rekindled their romance.
Three years later, they welcomed their third daughter, Bianka. In 2019, three years after Bryant retired, they had their fourth daughter, Capri.
Also read: What is Vanessa Bryant's ethnicity? Late Kobe Bryant's wife's background and other details explored
Kobe Bryant talks about the keys to having a successful marriage
Kobe Bryant shared in 2020 how he and his wife were able to keep a successful marriage. Despite some hurdles, Bryant talked about how their "commitment" and "competitiveness of ‘We’re going to succeed'" have helped them with their relationship.
"We’ve seen couples that have been, like, 85 years old and you look and you’re like, 'Oh, man, such an old, sweet couple,' and I’d go talk to them because I wanna know," the 18-time All-Star said. "One time, a guy goes, 'Yeah it’s great, but she just kicked me out of the bed last night. I was sleeping on the couch the last two nights.'"
Kobe also shared about how their challenges have helped them overcome anything:
"That’s all the beauty of it: having the persistence and determination to work through things — very, very tough things — and we’ve been able to do that."
They may have had hurdles over the years, but the love they've shown is a testament to how strong their relationship is.