Vanessa Bryant shares illustration of Gianna as a Laker wearing Kobe’s number 24: 'Just warmed my heart'

Wife of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, Vanessa, has shared a heart-warming illustration of her baby girl Gianna as a Laker wearing her father's number 24. 

Vanessa shared the illustration and captioned, "Seeing my babygirl smile and happy again with a basketball under her arm, wrapped in love just warmed my heart. Thank you for this. @_vivalareina thank you!! My Gigi. #Mambacita"

She also thanked the Los Angeles based illustrator Reina Koyano, who originally shared Gianna’s illustration and wrote, “Mambacita. #RIP”.

Gianna, who Kobe considered an heir to his legacy, was on her way with her father to the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousands Oaks for a basketball game when the tragic incident occurred. The Los Angeles Lakers played their first game since the demise of Kobe and Giana on Friday against the Portland Trailblazers at the Staples Center. All NBA games were canceled when the news regarding the crash broke. 

In Friday’s game, the Lakers remembered the basketball legend and Gianna with a series of tributes, leaving them seats covered with roses. And, 20,000 shirts with Kobe’s number 24 were spread across the seats at the Staples Center. 

Meanwhile, Lakers fans paid their respects to the legendary player with memorabilia. Vanessa has reportedly requested for all the items the fans have left for Kobe, according to Staple Center arena’s president. 

Lee Zeidman told CNN, "We will catalog and box up all the non-perishable items like T-shirts, letters, basketballs, other toys, stuffed animals, and we're going to put them in containers and ship them to Vanessa Bryant and the family”

"We thought it was a very touching tribute and felt that this would be a way to honor Kobe, Gianna, and the seven others who lost their lives as well as the people who spent money to bring those flowers down here," he further added.