When Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa honored late Lakers legend in Super Bowl's return to LA [WATCH]
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant lost his life in a tragic helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. Years after his death, however, his legacy lives on. Considering his contributions to the game and the world, Bryant was a legend not only for basketball fans, but followers throughout the globe.
The Super Bowl, which returned to LA after around three decades, had to extend a tribute to Bryant and his daughter Gianna. Along with seven more people, Gianna was also among the passengers killed. Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa, who has been actively promoting her husband and daughter's legacy, was featured in an LA-focused Super Bowl commercial.
“This is Los Angeles,” Vanessa said in the ad. “The city of angels. Where iconic teams, where iconic moments and where icons have etched their place in the storybook of history. Where nothing is impossible without a lot of hard work and a little imagination.”
As the words take over, the video shows various moments from Bryant's career, including his final 60-point game in 2016. To make it more impactful, Vanessa's cut was filmed as she pulled up in front of a stunning Kobe Bryant and Gianna mural.
Apart from Vanessa, celebrities like Shaquille O'Neal (Bryant's former teammate), George Lopez, Drew Barrymore and Jay Leno also stepped up to promote the NFL's 30-year return to LA for the big game.
Vanessa recently returned to the Lakers' arena for the first time since Bryant's public memorial service in 2020. This time, the 40-year-old was honoring Pau Gasol as his jersey number was retired alongside Bryant's.
Which NFL team did Kobe Bryant support?
Though Bryant's 20-year NBA career was spent with the Lakers, he was born in Philadelphia. In fact, he also played high school basketball in Philadelphia (Lower Merion High School), making him an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan.
One of Bryant's most iconic moments is his viral 2017 reaction to the Eagles' Super Bowl win against Tom Brady's New England Patriots.
"The spirit of the Eagle took over me and I just couldn't contain myself, but I had to because I was holding on to a 1-year-old," Bryant said in an interview. "Everything just kind of happened one after the other. I'm just thankful".
Bryant was 41 when he died, and retired in 2016. In 1,346 games for Lakers, he averaged 25 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists