Natalia Bryant throws the first pitch at Dodger Stadium.Photo:Ronald Martinez/Getty
Ronald Martinez/Getty
This one’s forKobe Bryant.
Earlier in the week, theMLB franchise announcedthat the 20-year-old model would take part in the purple-and-gold festivities, and that’s exactly what happened when Natalia threw out the first pitch before the Dodgers faced off against the Atlanta Braves.
Wearing a Dodgers jersey with her one of her dad’s Lakers numbers (No. 8) embroidered on it, Natalia tossed the baseball to right fielder Mookie Betts, who was sporting Kobe’s iconic No. 24 Lakers jersey.
Natalia Bryant throws a ceremonial first pitch.Ronald Martinez/Getty
For the pitch, which momVanessa Bryantposted about onInstagramshortly after it all went down, Natalia stepped a few feet in front of the pitcher’s mound and threw a steady ball right into Betts' glove. Betts then stood up and walked over to Natalia to give her a celebratory hug.
Before the throw, the stadium displayed an image of Kobe watching a Dodgers game years back, with Natalia in his arms. Natalia shared an image of her standing in front of it on Instagram alongside a few other pics with the caption, “LA Love 🤍.”
To add to her display of remembrance, Kobe’s eldest also rocked a pair of blue Kobe Nike sneakers, and shared a touching moment on the field with her mom and sisters —Capri Kobe, 4, andBianka Bella, 6.
The back of Vanessa’s jersey read “Queen Mamba” as a nod to Kobe’s Black Mamba nickname, and according to theAssociated Press, Bianka even yelled out “It’s time for Dodger baseball” as part of the stadium’s tradition.
In January 2020, Kobe, his then13-year-old daughter Giannaand seven other people died tragically in a helicopter crash.
Ahead of the game, where Kobe and Gianna were honored, the Dodgers organization presented a $100,000 check to the family’s nonprofit Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation. The foundation, which creates “positive impact for underserved athletes and girls and boys in sports” according to its website, was created in honor of the late father-daughter duo.
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The sports world has continued to honor Kobe and his daughter since their tragic deaths in 2020, with former Lakers teammate Pau Gasol shouting Kobe out last month during hisNaismith Basketball Hall of Fameenshrinementspeech.
Thesix-time NBA All-Startook a moment during his speech to remember his friend, who he said “took my game to the next level.”
“[He] showed me how hard you have to work and the mentality that you have to have in order to be the best,” Gasol said, before touching Bryant’s commitment to his team and leadership role.
“I wouldn’t be here without you, brother,” he added. “I wish more than ever that you and Gigi were here today with us. I miss you and love you.”
source: people.com
