Every year, as May rolls around, something special happens. It’s a bittersweet reminder of the life lost too soon, the birthday of Kobe Bryant‘s daughter Gianna ‘Gigi’ Bryant. Gigi’s promising basketball career was tragically cut short at the age of 13. But her impact still resonates deeply with everyone who knew her. Known affectionately as ‘Mambacita,’ Gigi would have turned 19 on May 1. On her heavenly birthday, tributes poured in from across the sports world. Close friends like Russell Wilson and former wideout Keyshawn Johnson shared heartfelt messages, remembering Gigi.

In 2022, Nike, which had been a partner with Kobe Bryant for 18 years, paid tribute to his daughter Gigi on her 16th birthday. The brand, along with Kobe’s wife Vanessa, released the Kobe 6 Protro ‘Mambacita Sweet 16.’ It became a tradition from then on. Since 2022, Nike and Vanessa have worked together to release tribute sneakers each year around Gigi’s birthday. This year, the brand dropped the Kobe 9 Low EM Protro ‘Mambacita’ last Thursday. As the tradition continued this year, the new Nike drops inspired by Gigi not only caught the attention of sneakerheads but also of NFL stars. Enter former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson, who took to social media to share his tribute.

Johnson posted a heartfelt story on his Instagram, featuring the newly released shoes. “Can’t wait to put these on #Mambacita,” he captioned. Keyshawn Johnson shared a friendly bond with Kobe Bryant, a connection that even made its way onto screens in their iconic This is SportsCenter commercial for ESPN. On a Fox podcast last year, the former WR shared a fond memory from when the two were flying to Oregon for an Adidas event. They were asked to sign around 30 items. And while Keyshawn was still carefully writing out his full name and jersey number, Kobe had already breezed through his stack.

“I was like, ‘Kobe man, how the hell did you finish so fast’?” Keyshawn recalled. Kobe leaned over, took one look at Johnson’s long signature. And said, “Well, that’s the problem right there.” Then he offered a bit of veteran advice, “Man, you gotta just shorten it to Keyshawn.”

That moment stuck with Keyshawn. And clearly, so did the respect he had for Kobe and his family. So, it wasn’t surprising to see him pay tribute to Gigi on her birthday this year. And he wasn’t the only one. Another heartfelt message came from Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara, who’ve long shared a close bond with the Bryant family.

The Wilsons pay tribute to Gigi Bryant’s legacy

Russ and Ciara have shared a close relationship with the Bryants. After the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and Gianna, Wilson paid tribute to them during a Seahawks game. The QB wore a ‘Black Mamba’ jersey and Nike Zoom Kobe 6 “Grinch” sneakers. In 2023, when Kobe and Vanessa’s oldest daughter, Natalia Bryant, began her third year of college, Russ and Ciara sent her flowers and a note. “Nani, we hope you had the best first day of school. We are so proud of you as you enter your junior year. Rock it, girl. Go, Nani, Go! Love, Uncle Russ and Aunt Ci,” the note read.

Fast forward to this week, when Vanessa Bryant announced the launch of the new Gigi-inspired Nike kicks, it hit an emotional chord. Ciara, moved by the moment, shared a heartfelt video featuring the sneakers, captioning it, “Simply beautiful @vanessabryant #PlayGigisWay everyday,” with a trail of heart emojis. Not long after, Wilson reshared Ciara’s story on his own Instagram. The Giants QB quietly echoed his love and support for the Bryant family.

For mom Vanessa, honoring her little girl’s memory goes way beyond sneakers and social media posts. Alongside the Nike launch, she shared another heartfelt tribute. On what would’ve been her daughter’s 19th birthday, Vanessa announced the launch of the Gianna Bryant Scholarship Award. “Today on Gianna’s birthday, we’re excited to announce the launch of the Gianna Bryant Scholarship Award!” she announced in an IG post on May 1. 

With the launch of the scholarship, Vanessa continues to keep Gigi’s spirit alive, empowering the next generation to follow in her footsteps. It’s truly a beautiful tribute that extends far beyond the basketball court.