'Turnaround Better Than Her Pops': Candace Parker Hypes Kobe Bryant’s Late Daughter Gigi On Supposed To Be 19th Birthday In Touching Tribute

Happy Birthday, sweet girl.”

Kobe and Gianna tragically died in January 2020 due to a helicopter crash. Many were affected by the loss, especially Candace Parker, who had been connected with the Bryants since she played in the WNBA.

In 2020, Parker spoke about the impact Kobe had on her career, sharing a moment when he messaged her when she entered the 2008 Playoffs.

“In 2008, we made the playoffs, and I was in practice, and I get out, and I have this crazy voicemail,” Parker said. “I listened to it; it’s like, ‘Good luck, it’s Kobe. Good luck in the playoffs, and you’re gonna do your thing.”

Candace Parker also paid tribute to Kobe and Gigi in two significant events, during the 2020 WNBA season opener and when she won the championship with the Chicago Sky in 2021. During that year’s Finals, Parker revealed how the Bryants had inspired the Sky’s title run.

“[Vanessa] said, if Gigi could play, she would play as hard as she could. So I think that that was huge in our team and just us overcoming everything that came today. So thank you Vanessa. We love you Gigi, we love you Kobe,” Parker said.

Candace Parker remains a key friend to Kobe’s wife, Vanessa, and has taken a mentor role over their other daughters, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.

Candace Parker reveals big wish on her jersey retirement

Candace Parker will have her No.3 jersey retired by the LA Sparks, where she won her first NBA championship, on June 29. During an episode on NBA on TNT last April, Parker shared her biggest wish for the ceremony: to have Kobe Bryant’s family and Pau Gasol witness her milestone.

“I was drafted in 2008 when it was like Kobe era, you know, when he was trying to win that championship with Pau,” Parker said. “So I think to have Vanessa and the girls there, to have Pau there, would be amazing.”

Bryant and Gasol entered the Finals in 2008 but lost in the six-game series against the Boston Celtics. However, they managed to get a trophy in 2009 and beat the Celtics in a Finals rematch the next year.

Meanwhile, Candace Parker had also already made a name in those years, becoming the only rookie to win the MVP in 2008. She would go on to win three WNBA championships, becoming one of the defining faces of the decade.