Kobe Bryant spent his final day before his death on daddy duty, taking three of his daughters, Gianna, 13, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months to the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach, California. In a photo shared with Access Hollywood by Anna Lorraine, the doting dad is seen holding his daughter Bianka near a fountain as she plays.
He is wearing a black Mamba Sports Academy sweatshirt in the sweet shot, which is the sports academy he founded for young athletes. The sports academy is also where Kobe and Gianna were traveling to when their helicopter, which was carrying 7 other passengers, including athletes, coaches and parents, crashed on Sunday in the mountains near Calabasas.
All the passengers on board perished. The now-haunting images paint a picturesque portrait of a loving father and happy NBA retiree on his final day with his girls.
Kobe told Access Hollywood in an interview last year that he was relishing having more time at home with his girls and playing the role of dad and coach “I control my own schedule. I can coach my daughter. I can be present at all of my eldest daughter’s volleyball games. Drop them off in the morning. I pick them up in the afternoon,” Kobe told Access Hollywood in one of his final interviews.
He also revealed he was enjoying trying new projects, including writing books, working on films, and building his Mamba Sports Academy, and his desire to return to basketball after his 20-year career with the Lakers was low.
“So zero. I have no inclination. I have no desire to play basketball,” Kobe shared.
The Los Angeles Laker frequently visited the mall as he was captured a week earlier pushing his baby in a stroller as his daughters walked beside him, in a photo provided by KNBC. Kobe is looking back at the camera and smiling.
Kobe also wore his heart on his sleeve when it came to his girls. In multiple images shared on his Instagram account, the proud pop showed off his daughters’ achievement, writing about their volleyball wins, their basketball moves, how much he enjoyed spending time with them. He took his daughter Gianna on a recent trip to meet another young aspiring high school basketball player up in Washington.
For Halloween, he and his wife Vanessa, and the rest of the family dressed as the Wizard of Oz cast, sharing a sweet photo on their front steps.
His wife brought his kids to his book signings, and Kobe was seen in September holding up his two youngest daughters in a sweet snap.
And despite an incredible career shooting hoops with the Los Angeles Lakers, earning titles like MVP and making the name Kobe one that is famous the world over, it seems that in his final day before his death, Kobe did what made him most happy – spending time with his daughters. The smile says it all.
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