Lakers Send 1-Word Message After Vanessa Bryant's Big Announcement
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in NBA history. Spending all 20 years of his career in LA, Bryant won five NBA championships and made 18 All-Star Game appearances. Retiring in 2016, he still ranks fourth on the league's all-time scoring list.
Kobe and his daughter Gianna tragically passed away in a 2020 helicopter accident. They are survived by Vanessa Bryant and her oldest daughter, Natalia. The Bryant family has done incredible work to push forward Kobe's work off the court, notably through the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation that aims to further the legacies of he and Gianna.
Wall of remembrance for Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant.© Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
On Friday, Vanessa Bryant announced the exciting news that her daughter Natalia had graduated from USC.
Advertisement
"We're so proud of you @nataliabryant!" she wrote in an Instagram post.
Among the comments was one from the official Lakers account. The team wrote, "Congratulations 🫶"
Los Angeles Lakers congratulate Natalia Bryant.vanessabryant / Instagram
Bryant's legacy in Los Angeles and across the sports world continues to be felt. The Lakers have continued to honor him in different ways, including the recent unveiling of a statue outside of Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as Staples Center).
Natalia, part of USC's 2025 graduating class, also announced her major accomplishment in a post on Instagram. Alongside her mother, Natalia has done incredible work with the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation while completing her degree. This is just one of the ways the Bryant family has continued to positively impact the sports world, not just in Los Angeles, but all over.
Related: Julius Randle Had Kobe Bryant Message Before Warriors-Timberwolves Game 5
Related: Shaquille O'Neal's Dwight Howard Gesture Turns Heads After NBA on TNT Absence
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
38 minutes ago
- Forbes
Riley Gaines And Simon Biles Clash Over Trans Athlete Debate
Olympic gymnast Simon Biles and former collegiate swimmer turned-right-wing activist Riley Gaines traded barbs Friday over a transgender softball champion, whom Gaines called a boy before Biles stepped in to defend the player on X, formerly known as Twitter. Biles and Gaines exchanged words on X on Friday. (Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images) Gaines, an outspoken critic of transgender athletes in women's sports, pointed out the Minnesota State High School League removed comments from a post showing the winners of a softball state championship, with Gaines insisting the turned-off comments were to 'be expected when your star player is a boy.' Biles responded to Gaines' tweet a few hours later, calling her 'truly sick' and saying her campaigning against transgender athletes was all because she lost a race in college, referring to Gaines' fifth-place tie with trans swimmer Lia Thomas in a NCAA freestyle championship event in 2022. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.


New York Post
38 minutes ago
- New York Post
Michael Beasley posts raunchy message after epic $100K one-on-one win over Lance Stephenson
Michael Beasley didn't wait long to bust out some outlandish talk after defeating Lance Stephenson in their hyped one-on-one matchup for $100,000. The former Lakers teammates were the main event of the TNC 02 pay-per-view basketball event in Miami on Friday night and delivered what they considered one of the top one-on-one games ever. 5 Michael Beasley celebrates beating Lance Stephenson in a one-on-one game for $100K on Friday night. Overtime/IG Advertisement Beasley bested Stephenson, 31-21, to cash the big check with injured Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving in attendance. Stephenson, 34, cordially tagged the 36-year-old Beasley in an Instagram story after the heated matchup and wrote: 'Great game bro.' That's when things got weird. Advertisement Beasley, who played 74 games for the Knicks in 2017-18, responded to the message with one of his own and somehow dragged the Kardashian into the fray. 'I love you to the moon and back… Now grab a cigarette and a towel… We made a sex tape Kim K would envy,' Beasley wrote back with three crying laughing emojis. 5 Michael Beasley posts raunchy message after $100K win over Lance Stephenson in epic one-on-one battle Michael Beasley/Instagram Advertisement The game itself had a little bit of everything, even if Beasley never trailed after a fast 4-0 start that had Irving on commentary saying he 'would never' want to play Beasley one-on-one Stephenson even got feisty with the ref and fans at points, but it wasn't enough to beat Beasley. Beasley, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, never quite reached the lofty expectations of being the No. 2 pick overall by the Heat in 2008. 5 Michael Beasley (r.) and Lance Stephenson battle in a one-on-one game for $100K on Friday night. Overtime/Instagram Advertisement He was the better scorer between him and Stephenson, averaging 12.4 points per game for his career. Stephenson, the Coney Island product, played 10 seasons in the NBA, including seven with the Pacers. 5 Lance Stephenson #6 of the Indiana Pacers celebrates during the 108-90 win over the Toronto Raptors at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on April 4, 2017. Getty Images 5 Knicks forward Michael Beasley (8) drives as he is defended by Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the second quarter in 2017. Bill Kostroun/New York Post He was one of the best defenders of his era after being drafted 40th overall in 2010 — as he and LeBron James had some epic playoff battles. Stephenson averaged 8.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for his career.


Washington Post
40 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Belmont Stakes at Saratoga is a Kentucky Derby rematch
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — The Triple Crown concludes Saturday with the 157th running of the Belmont Stakes . The race is a rematch between Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and runner-up Journalism, who is the favorite after winning the Preakness . Derby third-place finisher Baeza also is in the field of eight.