"Your impact goes beyond basketball" - Scottie Pippen pays heartfelt tribute on Kobe Bryant & Gigi Bryant's death anniversary
NBA legend Scottie Pippen paid tribute to Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gigi Bryant, as the world commemorates their death anniversary on Sunday. It's been five years since the death of Kobe and Gigi. On January 26, 2020, the father-daughter was involved in a helicopter crash that was set to take Gigi to her basketball game.
Scottie Pippen went on social media to give Kobe Bryant and Gigi Bryant a heartfelt message. Pippen's message focused on the LA Lakers legend's legacy as a player and his greatness as a father to Gigi.
"Kobe, it’s been five years, and I still find myself looking back on your legacy as a father, a friend, and a fierce competitor," Pippen wrote. "Gigi was proof that greatness runs in the family, and the love you shared inspires all of us who are blessed to be girl dads. Your impact goes beyond basketball, and it always will. Rest in peace, my brother… you and Gigi are forever in our hearts."
Scottie Pippen is a father of seven children, one of them currently playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. Pippen knows what it's like being a father to a daughter, especially since he has three of them.
Basketball world commemorates Kobe Bryant and Gigi Bryant's death anniversary
Kobe was one of the fiercest competitors in NBA history. His never-say-die attitude is what made many believe that it was impossible to take the Black Mamba down.
Half a decade after their death, the basketball world still commemorates the passing of Kobe and Gigi. Here's what some had to say on social media:
"Always in our hearts 💜," the LA Lakers wrote on X.
"Mamba Forever. On the fifth anniversary of his passing, we remember Kobe Bryant 💛," the Golden State Warriors wrote.
"Kobe Bryant continues to serve as an inspiration to aspiring and current NBA and WNBA players, young athletes playing at all levels and those are motivated solely by his relentless pursuit of exellence. Our thoughts today are with Vanessa and the Bryant family as we remember Kobe and their daughter, Gianna, with whom he shared a special bond around a profound love of the game of basketball," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wrote.
Kobe will forever be one of the all-time greats in the NBA, while Gianna will forever be known as the girl version of the Black Mamba that we never got to see play at a professional level.