The connection between Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles sports scene goes way beyond the Lakers. For most of his NBA career and after, the late basketball legend cheered for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He used to attend their games with the best seats in the house. After his passing, the Dodgers have gone above and beyond in keeping up their connection by including his family too. They commemorated Mamba Day with a special gesture and they involved Bryant’s daughter in it.

The five-time NBA champion’s eldest daughter, Natalia Bryant, will always feel the void of her father and her sister, Gianna. She’s nonetheless keeping their memories alive with a smile. Her recent moment with the Dodgers is part of the family’s connection to basketball.

Natalia Bryant starts off the Dodgers game with a pitch

It’s a busy time for 20-year-old Natalia Bryant. Kobe and Vanessa Bryant’s eldest daughter recently went back to school to start a new year at the University of Southern California. Volleyball and modeling also take up a big chunk of her time. Amid all that, she is constantly involved with representing her father and his legacy.

Thursday, Natalia not only celebrated her dad, but also the Los Angeles Lakers organization. September 1 is the Los Angeles Dodgers ‘Lakers Night,’ a day designed by the MLB team to honor the Lakers’ current and past stars. It comes after August 23, Kobe Bryant’s 45th birthday.

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The $4.8 billion franchise is keeping up their tradition with their beloved fan by getting his daughter, Natalia involved on Lakers Night.

She threw the ceremonial first pitch at the Dodgers game on this day. It marks 23 years after her father threw the first pitch for the first time shortly after winning the 2000 NBA championship.

Dodgers’ longstanding relationship with Kobe Bryant

The Dodgers go way back with The Black Mamba. Apart from throwing the ceremonial first pitch in a 2000 game, he was forever immortalized in Dodgers history for an epic moment. It occurred in Game 4 of the 2018 World Series.

Dodgers star, Yasiel Puig hit a spectacular no-doubt home run with Bryant in the stands. Kobe’s amazed reaction to that home run was photographed and remains one of those unforgettable moments in sports.

Dodgers also paid a special tribute to Kobe and Gianna in 2020, the year they passed, by writing their numbers 24 and 2 on the mound at the stadium. They commemorated Mamba Day once more in 2023 by releasing a special edition Kobe jersey.

The Dodgers jersey has the number 8 on the front and ‘Bryant’ and 24 on the back. The team also added a snake pattern as a nod to The Black Mamba. Vanessa Bryant was overwhelmed by the gesture and expressed her gratitude on social media.

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