Vanessa Bryant thanks WNBA for Gianna's honorary draft pick: 'It would've been her dream come true'
This April 17 saw the virtually hosted WNBA draft for the class of 2024, where Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli and Peyton Chester were showered with due honors after the tragic passing of all three, including NBA pro-Kobe Bryant, during a helicopter crash that left the world shocked and heartbroken.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert kicked off the night honoring the esteemed Black Mamba and his equally talented progeny — Gianna, and the other two 'rising basketball stars'. "Kobe was not only a legendary basketball star, but a devoted youth coach and had a tremendous impact on countless young players. I met Kobe last fall and after he left our office I remember thinking that his passion for the WNBA and girls basketball was unparalleled from anyone else I had ever met," she said in her opening speech.
Engelbert added: "Alongside Kobe, eight others were lost that sad day in January, including three rising basketball stars — Alyssa Altobelli, Gianna Bryant, and Peyton Chester. These athletes represented the future of the WNBA. Players who were following their passions, acquiring knowledge of the game, exhibiting skills that were way beyond their years. They represented the next generation of stars in our league, maybe what might have been the Mambacita generation. While it brings us pain not to see their dreams come to fruition, I'm grateful and proud to announce them tonight as honorary draft picks."
Taking the stage next, Kobe's wife and Gianna's mother — Vanessa Bryant shared her pride in not just her little 'Gigi', but also Alyssa, Peyton and every other player inspired by the late Kobe.
She noted how bittersweet it was that Gianna wasn't here, especially since she "worked tirelessly every day". "It would have been a dream come true for her," Bryant said.
"She wanted to be one of the greatest athletes of all time just like her daddy," the mother of four shared, wearing a sweatshirt she claimed was her late husband's. "Thank you for honoring my little girl. Kobe and Gigi loved the WNBA," she said, adding: "I want to congratulate all of this year's draft picks. So congratulations, work hard, never settle, use that Mamba mentality.
Peyton's father Chris Chester also spoke about receiving the honor on his daughter's behalf, sharing: "She exemplified the mamba mentality and was a fierce competitor. Her skill and determination to play in the WNBA is something I have no doubt she would have achieved but was only surpassed by her joy for life and the game. She exemplified the mamba mentality and was a fierce competitor. Her skill and determination to play in the WNBA is something I have no doubt she would have achieved but was only surpassed by her joy for life and the game."
Sharing similar sentiments via video were also Alyssa's siblings — JJ and Lexi — who lost both their sister and parents in the fatal helicopter crash back in late January this year. They stated how their little sister "loved the game of basketball and she worked extremely hard at her craft," claiming there was "no doubt" she would have excelled as a professional.
The night was also marked by the creation of the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award. This is dedicated to acknowledging individuals or groups significantly contributing to the visibility, perception and advancement of women's and girls' basketball at every level — just the way Kobe did for Gianna and her teammates. Vanessa will be working with the WNBA to choose the inaugural recipient of the honor.
"Obviously, we wish that he was here with us to celebrate but it's definitely the peak of his NBA career and every accomplishment that he had as an athlete was a stepping stone to be here, so we're incredibly proud of him. There's some solace in knowing that he was probably going to be a part of the 2020 hall of fame class," she had said when Kobe was posthumously honored by being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.