Fans of women’s sports were familiar with Kobe Bryant, even if they didn’t follow his 18-time All-Star career with the Los Angeles Lakers or witness the five NBA championships he won.
Bryant was a fixture at WNBA games, often sitting courtside with his daughter, Gianna. He appeared in ads for the WNBA and NCAA women’s basketball, and increasingly used his presence on social media to promote the game. When people told him he needed to have a son to continue his basketball legacy, Bryant said Gigi was going to handle that.
He was also a big fan of the U.