Vanessa Bryant Breaks Silence After Kobe Bryant's Father's Death

Late Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa Bryant, has only good things to say about her late father-in-law.

After his death was announced, the mother-of-four publicly acknowledged Joe Bryant's passing with a touching post on her social media page.

Vanessa Bryant's father-in-law died at the age of 69 from a stroke, four years after the tragic death of his son Kobe Bryant and granddaughter Gigi Bryant.

The businesswoman penned down a brief tribute on her Instagram story after La Salle University's head coach, Fran Dunphy, confirmed the death of the former 6'9 forward. Vanessa wrote:

"Sending our condolences upon hearing the news of my father in law's passing. We hoped things would've been different. Although the times we spent together were few, he was always sweet and nice to be around. Kobe loved him very much. Our prayers go out to family."

Like his late son, The Blast shared that Joe had an iconic basketball career. He played on the Bartram High School and La Salle University basketball teams, averaging over 20 points and 11 rebounds for the university.

The athlete won the Public League Player of the Year in 1972 and was with the NBA for eight shiny seasons, entering as a first-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors in 1975, but his rights were sold to the 76ers less than four months after his debut.

The basketball legend spent four seasons with the 76ers, his hometown team. He then came off the bench for the Sixers' 1976-77 team before transitioning to the Houston Rockets during the 1982-83 basketball season.

Joe moved overseas to Europe and smashed records in Italy playing professionally, but his family later returned back home to the Philadelphia region and settled in Wynnewood. However, despite his huge success in basketball, his relationship with Kobe was strained.

The pair maintained a close interaction during Kobe's early years and basketball career at Lower Merion High School, but things changed as soon as he joined the NBA and began an impressive career.

Kobe reportedly craved more freedom and independence from his family, which did not go down well with his father, causing them to grow apart up until his death. His father also refused to make any public statement on his son's painful passing in January 2020.

Since the unfortunate accident that claimed the father-daughter pair occurred, several monuments and projects have been erected in their honor.

So, in February, the Los Angeles Lakers, for which Kobe played as a shooting guard, honored the athlete and his daughter with a bronze statue outside the Crypto.com Arena for their fourth anniversary.

The anniversary coincided with a significant date in Kobe's career, 2-8-24, which referenced his and Gigi's jersey numbers.

Vanessa delivered a touching speech at the unveiling ceremony and showcased three bronze figures, including a statue of Kobe in a white No. 8 Lakers uniform, which was his official jersey number on the LA Lakers team.

The athlete pointed his finger into the air, referring to his famous 81-point win celebration in a 2006 match against the Toronto Raptors. A second statue was also displayed, and it featured the superstar in his No. 24 jersey, while the third captured him and Gigi.

The team rounded up their tribute by showing up in his Black Mamba-inspired uniforms, which he designed prior to his death as a nod to his famous "Black Mamba" nickname.

Kobe's life was celebrated at every chance, even after his death. In August 2022, the star's friends and families honored him with tributes and encomiums for his 44th birthday, and his eldest daughter, Natalia Bryant, played a major role.

The model shared throwback photos of herself and her dad wearing the brightest smiles at his basketball game with heartwarming captions.

His colleague and fellow icon, LeBron James, also posted a picture of his late friend with a snake and halo emoji as NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal showed off various pictures of Kobe in his home.

Vanessa has continued to lead the family and protect her husband's legacy after his death, and she showcased her commitment to the course when she won a major lawsuit last year.

The mom of four picked up from where Kobe left the court case involving him and the President of Kobe Inc., Molly Carter, which began six months before his shocking death.

The Blast noted that Kobe invested $6 million in BodyArmor, a beverage company, in 2013 for a 10% interest in the company's shares. A few years later, Coca-Cola bought the brand for $5.6 billion, indicating a huge profit for Kobe of up to $400 million.

However, Carter claimed she had a right to cut of the money in 2019, stating that Kobe promised her 2% of his earnings, a statement the athlete claimed to not recollect making.

Upon Kobe's passing, Vanessa issued a counterclaim and accused Carter of violating the duty of loyalty and the non-disparagement clause in her contract with Kobe by calling him insulting names in public and referring to Vanessa as "the f—king devil, b-tch, and PSYCHO."

She also made fun of Kobe's daughters and allegedly made a racist comment about passengers on the plane while traveling to an NBA All-Star game alongside Kobe. The legal tussle ended in Vanessa winning and taking home a whopping $1.5 million in attorney's fees.

The death of Kobe’s father truly marks the end of an era for the Bryant Golden Boys, but their sterling legacies will continue to live on!