#GirlDad Forever
The world not only lost an NBA legend last weekend, but a true advocate for women’s basketball. It lost a beloved coach and founder of Mamba Academy, and his 13 year-old WNBA-bound daughter Gianna. On countless occasions, Kobe used his platform to talk about his daughters, especially by coaching – he often was found sitting courtside with his daughter discussing the game. One interview that stood out to me among the various ones being circulated in the past week was one in Yahoo Entertainment in which Kobe described how people often tell him that he should have a son to carry out his legacy:
“Fans will come up to me. And [Gianna]’ll be standing next to me, and they will be like, ‘You gotta have a boy, you and [Vanessa, his wife] gotta have a boy, man to have somebody to carry on the tradition, the legacy’. And she is like, ‘I got this. You don’t need no boy for that! I got this!’ I’m like, ‘That’s right! Yes, you do! You got this!’’’
Just by this statement about his daughter, I believe that Kobe truly thought that Gigi was going to carry on his NBA legacy. I would have loved to see her play at her dream school — UConn, one of the top women’s basketball programs in the country. I would have loved to cheer for her as she carried on her dad’s legacy. I would have loved to see her break records like her dad, debunk sexist stereotypes and bring more attention to women’s basketball. The 13-year old basketball player was heading to a basketball game with her father and other players, parents and coaches on the helicopter that tragically crashed on Sunday, January 26.
Yet Kobe showed in so many more instances clear and constant support for women in the game. In a recent interview, he said that WNBA stars like Diana Turasi, Maya Moore, and Ella Denne Done could “most certainly keep up” in the NBA (via NY Post). Hearing that coming from one of the greatest is incredibly significant. Countless women involved in basketball and sports journalism have expressed how devastated they are as well as emphasizing how important Kobe was for women in the game.
Longtime sportscaster Holly Rowe wrote on Instagram that Kobe’s “support of women’s sports and those of us that cover them was unwavering.”
Maria Taylor reacted similarly: “He was transcendent,” she wrote. “This picture was taken at the 2018 women’s final four. Kobe brought his daughter Gigi to watch the semifinals. I was always amazed by the way he supported, engaged with, and truly promoted the women’s game and mentored athletes. He used his influence to change minds about our game and positively impact the next generation as much as he could.”
Kobe’s influence was so important because women’s sports — especially NCAAW and WNBA games — get little, if any, coverage from the media. Kobe was starting to change that. I am incredibly grateful for what he did, but if it were not for this tragedy he could – and absolutely would- have done so much more.
NCAAW and WNBA Players have also come out and spoke in support of not only Kobe, but Gigi. Chicago Sky guard Katie Lou Samuelson told ESPN how he would come to UConn games with Gigi and that “he took it upon himself to make a difference, and show Gigi and those other girls what they could do as basketball players.”
Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale formed a friendship with Kobe during her Notre Dame days. In both the 2018 Final Four and Championship game, two of the most exciting college basketball games I have ever seen, Ogunbowale hit a buzzer beater to win. Kobe was Ogunbowale’s hero – and also wore #24. He not only tweeted his support for her, but they appeared together on a talk show where he continually sang her praises:
“You gotta understand, that’s the picture-perfect moment … as a kid, you dream about 5-4-3-2-1 to win the championship, and she actually did it”. (via South Bend Times). The two basketball icons had kept in touch since then. Very few NBA stars went to this length to support women’s basketball, but Kobe was simply recognizing a great basketball player.
I recently realized why the news seemed so upsetting to me, and I believe it was because many things about Kobe and his daughter remind me of my dad and my shared love for basketball. By no means can I call myself a baller or even close to an equal of the incredibly talented Gigi, but I have always been a huge basketball fan and liked to play casually. My dad and I are on the shorter side, and the concept of a dunk will forever remain confined to our wildest dreams — but we have been playing basketball for fun since I was little. We just shot around, or played horse (which sometimes extended to “elephant”) and he worked with me on how to properly shoot, how to bank, how to best shoot free throws, and he tried his very best to help me with my less-than-great layup skills. It makes me really sad that Kobe and Gianna aren’t going to be able to continue sharing their love for the game.
Every time my dad and I played basketball, he insisted that we both always made our last shot before going inside even if it meant many attempts. Looking back, it seems like something the always persistent Kobe Bryant would approve of.
I think Kobe and Gianna’s death will hit fathers and daughters particularly hard, especially those that bond over sports like we do. I think many could see themselves in that pair. Daughters will admire Gianna for her confidence and basketball skills. Parents will admire Kobe for his endless support of his kids and their dreams. Kobe wasan important figure to women in sports and clearly bonded with Gigi over basketball, adding to the heartbreak so many feel.
Seeing the photos of Kobe and Gianna courtside remind me of how my dad pulled me out of school to go to the Big Ten Tournament. It is truly devastating to think about how much Gianna had ahead of her in basketball and in life, and all of the time that she and her dad lost in bonding over the game. It hurts my heart that she won’t be able to carry on her dad’s legacy. Coming from a family that was so supportive of women in the game, I know she would have been incredibly successful, just like her dad.
I hope the world learns a lesson from Kobe and Gigi about women’s basketball. I hope more people open their eyes to the just as hard work the women put in for much less recognition. We should be grateful for people in our lives who encourage us and encourage girls to go after spots in male-dominated industries. I hope others with platforms like Kobe’s will speak out in support of women’s basketball in the way he did and that basketball fans turn some attention to the women’s game. Finally, I hope the world recognizes the importance of parents supporting their girls in whatever they choose to do.
The strong father-daughter relationship in the Bryant Family has inspired the viral #GirlDad trend on social media in honor of Kobe and Gigi (Click on the hashtag to read more).