Los Angeles Lakers Instagram Vanessa Bryant, Capri Bryant, and Bianka Bryant posing with LeBron James
LeBron James made sure to take a moment during the NBA All-Star Game to greet some special guests.
The NBA star, 38, stopped to say hello to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s daughters, who were seated courtside at the event, which they attended with mom Vanessa Bryant.
James shared a big hug with Natalia Bryant, 19, and also hugged Bianka Bella, 6, while Capri, 3, hung back shyly behind Natalia. He then sat down for a photo with the three girls, with Capri climbing into her sister’s lap and facing away from the camera.
The girls — who Vanessa and the late Lakers star share along with Gianna, who died alongside her dad at age 13 — were in attendance to watch close family friend and teammate Pau Gasol be presented with 2023 Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award by their mom.
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“I’m so pleased that Pau has been chosen to receive this award. Pau has done so much to promote women and girls in sports and cares deeply about spreading a message of equality, which was so important to Kobe and Gianna,” Vanessa, 40, the Chair of the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a positive impact for underserved athletes and boys and girls in sports, said in a statement about the honor.
“We are grateful to the WNBA and Pau for continuing to honor Kobe and Gianna in this way,” she added.
Legend Pau Gasol is presented with the 2023 Kobe and Gigi Bryant WNBA advocacy award by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and Vanessa Bryant during the NBA All-Star Game
Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
James — who shares daughter Zhuri, 8, and sons Bryce, 15, and Bronny, 18, with wife Savannah James — and Kobe shared a special moment the night before the tragic helicopter crash that resulted in Kobe and Gianna’s deaths, as well as those of seven others.
During a game between the Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers, James passed Bryant for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list — a monumental moment in his career.
That night, James wore special shoes during the performance that paid tribute to the Lakers legend. Later on, Bryant congratulated James on the milestone with a message on Instagram.
“On to #2 @kingjames! Keep growing the game and charting the path for the next,” Kobe wrote.
