Natalia Bryant gave a heartwarming speech at a current ceremony honoring her late father, Kobe Bryant. Her phrases flowed throughout the unveiling of a everlasting exhibition of Kobe’s handprints and footprints.
In 2011, Kobe turned the primary skilled athlete to go away his mark printed on the cement at TCL Chinese Theatre. As of Wednesday, the prints will stay displayed within the venue’s forecourt. During her speech, Bryant’s eldest daughter stated it’s “only fitting” her father was the primary, given how a lot he “loved and cared” for Los Angeles.
“While most people knew him as a basketball player or a stroyteller, I got to know and love him as my dad,” Natalia shared. “And let me tell you he is the MVP of girl dads to say the least.”
RELATED: Vanessa & Natalia Bryant Talk About Kobe Bryant’s Induction Into The Basketball Hall Of Fame
Though we’ve typically seen Natalia attending tributes for the NBA champ and her late sister Gianna, her current speech is without doubt one of the few instances we’ve heard her discuss him publicly since their deaths. Typically, her mom, Vanessa Bryant, takes the mic. She advised PEOPLE in March 2021 that she isn’t “strong everyday,” however revealed that “finding the light in darkness” strikes her ahead.
“This pain is unimaginable [but] you just have to get up and push forward. Lying in bed crying isn’t going to change the fact that my family will never be the same again. But getting out of bed and pushing forward is going to make the day better for my girls and for me. So that’s what I do,” Vanessa stated.
Natalia Says Kobe Was ‘An Icon, Legend, Storyteller, And Best Girl Dad’
Just a few months later, in September 2021, Natalia opened up to Teen Vogue about dealing with the loss. She revealed that she stop volleyball and her goals of being a D1 athlete after the deaths as a result of “a lot was going on at that time.” At the time, she additionally spoke about how her remaining members of the family–Vanessa, Bianka, and Capri–had been doing.
“You do the best that you can,” Bryant advised Teen Vogue. “[For] my little sisters [we’re] trying to keep that memory for them. And also just trying to remember to live out every day the way they would.”
As beforehand reported, a California helicopter crash claimed the lives of 9 folks, together with Kobe and Gianna, in January 2020. Earlier this month, Vanessa settled a lawsuit in opposition to Los Angeles County for the circulation of the crash website and sufferer images by sheriff and fireplace division officers. Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri will obtain $28.85 million of the greater than $50 million payout LA County will give to 4 affected households.
At the TCL Chinese Theatre ceremony, Natalia was joined by her mom and two little sisters. After the revealing, Bianka and Capri positioned their arms and toes of their father’s imprints, per NBC Los Angeles.
In her speech, Natalia inspired theatre guests to “place [their] hands in his and take a moment to stand in his shoes.”
“Dad, you’re an icon, a legend, a storyteller, and most importantly, the best girl dad any young woman could ever dream of,” Bryant stated. “I’m honored to be right here to signify you and our household and we’re extraordinarily pleased with you. We will love you without end and at all times. Love Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, Capri and Mommy.