Kobe Bryant's Cousin, Olympic Basketball Player John Cox, Pays Tribute To The Lakers Legend

Gettyimages | Rob Carr

Tributes to Kobe Bryant have poured in from everywhere in the two weeks since he died in a helicopter crash, and now one of his cousins is offering his.

John Cox, who played basketball for Team Venezuela in the 2016 Olympic Games, tweeted a photo of the two together with a touching message.

"Thank you everyone for your condolences. I am devastated by the loss of my cousins and my prayers go out to the families of the other victims. This pain will never go away, but I find peace in knowing Kobe would want us all to persevere. Love You..Te Amo #Mamba4ever #Mambacita," he wrote.

Cox was born in Venezuela to American parents. His father was there to play pro basketball. His aunt is Bryant's mother.

Perhaps the most touching social media tribute to Bryant came from his wife, Vanessa, who shared her thoughts three days after the accident.

"My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time," Vanessa began her post. "Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri."

Gettyimages | Andrew D. Bernstein

She continued, "We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately. There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon."

"I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them," Vanessa wrote. "But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever."

She concluded: "Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality."