Kobe Bryant's Family and Friends Honor Him on What Would Have Been His 43rd Birthday

Published on 8/23/2021 at 4:15 PM

Kobe Bryant's loved ones are remembering him on what would have been his 43rd birthday. On Monday, stars and athletes alike shared heartfelt tributes for the late NBA star on social media. Kobe's wife, Vanessa Bryant, shared a photo of her and Kobe at the 2000 NBA Finals, writing, "Happy birthday, Papi. Te Amo por siempre. Amor Eterno," while his 18-year-old daughter Natalia posted a snap of her and her dad at the 2004 NBA Playoffs. Kobe's former teammates, including Pau Gasol and Carmelo Anthony, also penned tributes, along with family friends Ciara and Russell Wilson.

Kobe was 41 when he died in a helicopter crash with eight other people, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, in January 2020. Ahead, see how his family and friends are keeping his memory alive.

Vanessa Bryant

"Happy birthday, Papi," Vanessa wrote on Instagram. "Te Amo por siempre. Amor Eterno. ❤️💔 43."

Natalia Bryant

Alongside a photo of her and her dad, Natalia wrote, "Happy Birthday Daddy ❤️."

Ciara

"Happy Birthday @kobeBryant," Ciara tweeted. "Celebrating you every day! Grateful for the inspiration you continually give us, and how you Love Your Queens! Forever in our hearts. 💜💛 #8 #24 Forever."

Russell Wilson

"Forever Legend. Miss you Kobe," Russell wrote on Twitter. "Happy Birthday Mamba. 💜💛🐍 #8 #24."

Mindy Kaling

O'Shea Jackson Jr.

"Happy birthday to one of my heroes. The man the myth the legend," O'Shea tweeted. "The always imitated. Never duplicated. Under appreciated and surprisingly STILL underrated. Smh. Lol. Our fallen King Laker. We love you. We miss you. But we still feel you here with us. Mr. Kobe Bean Bryant."

Pau Gasol

Alongside an Instagram photo of him and Kobe, Pau wrote, "Happy birthday brother. Miss you 🖤#MambaForever 🐍."

Carmelo Anthony

"Happy Birthday brother," Carmelo captioned a picture of the two hugging on Instagram.