Late basketball legend Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa posted a tribute to him on the occasion of the couple’s 19th wedding anniversary. Vanessa posted an image of the couple and in the caption wrote: “My king, my heart, my best friend. Happy 19th wedding anniversary baby. I miss you so much. I wish you were here to hold me in your arms. I love you.”

Bryant, 41, along with the couple’s daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others were killed in the crash on a steep, hilly area in Calabasas, California in the morning of Jan.6.  All the nine people on board were travelling for Gianna’s basketball game which was to begin in the afternoon that day.

In the months since, tributes have flown from multiple quarters around the world. On February 16, the NBA All-Star Game MVP Award was permanently named after Bryant, an 18-time All-Star who won a record-tying four All-Star Game MVP awards.

Byant made his NBA All-Star Game debut in 1998 at age 19 -- the youngest player to ever play in an All-Star Game. That appearance marked the first of his 18 All-Star selections, second most in NBA history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19).

Bryant holds the NBA record for consecutive All-Star selections as he was honoured 18 straight times from 1998-2016.

Kobe and Vanessa have three surviving daughters who were not on the helicopter.

Kobe, a five-times NBA champion, was a fierce advocate for women’s basketball.

He loomed large over the Women’s NBA draft on Friday, when commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the new Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist also was an Academy Award winner in 2018, and this past weekend was announced as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 in his first year of eligibility.

Bryant spent 20 seasons with the Lakers. He was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2007-08, a 15-time All-NBA selection, 18-time All-Star and 12-time All-Defensive team member. He twice was named MVP of the NBA Finals and was the All-Star Game MVP four times.

Agencies