One of the prominent stars in the WNBA is New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu, who formed a positive connection and relationship with Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his family. The late, great Bryant loved taking his daughter Gianna to WNBA games and even went to Liberty games to watch Ionescu.
It stings that Kobe and Gianna are no longer with us, but their legacies live on through WNBA and NBA stars, who are moving basketball forward. Specifically with the WNBA, it is reaching new heights of popularity and Ionescu is a part of that growth due to how dynamic of a scorer she is.
A familiar championship teammate of Bryant, Pau Gasol, has been a prominent figure in the Bryant family as he keeps in touch with Vanessa and her daughters. However, Ionescu is now becoming a influential figure in the Bryant family as well as she got shots up with Bianka Bryant, which could be an introduction to basketball for her:
Kobe's daughter Bianka shooting hoops with @sabrina_i20 ♥️
(via vanessabryant/IG) pic.twitter.com/Ezqm7EBmii
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 28, 2024
It’s a wholesome moment that Vanessa was able to capture and could be a great moment for Bianka to look back on as she continues to grow up. For Ionescu to take time during her busy season to spend some time with the Bryant family is great to see and hopefully continues as time passes.
Kobe coached Gianna and had her on a path to becoming an eventual WNBA player, which would have been a full circle moment for the five-time champion. Basketball will always be a part of the Bryant family due to Kobe’s 20-year career and having ties with prominent players. Perhaps, Ionescu becomes a mentor for Bianka, should she decide to try and become a basketball player as well.
Sabrina Ionescu reflects on relationship with Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant
The passing of both Gianna and Kobe Bryant still stings to this day, but keeping their memory alive and recognizing what kind of impact both left on the world is important. Everyone has Kobe stories about how he particularly impacted people around the globe. But what also made his mentality special is that it could be applied to any aspect of life, not just basketball.
After retiring, Kobe entered a life of without basketball by writing books and animated shorts, which he became very successful at. Sabrina Ionescu clearly had a close relationship with Kobe and Gianna as after their passing, she reflected on her relationship with both of the Bryants.
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