NEED TO KNOW
- The Los Angeles Dodgers dedicated their latest exclusive bobblehead to late L.A. legend, Kobe Bryant
- In celebration of the tribute, Kobe’s family attended the Friday, Aug. 8 game, where the bobbleheads were sold
- There, his and Vanessa’s youngest daughter, Bianka, 8, and Capri, 6, participated in the pre-game activities
The city of Los Angeles continues to honor Kobe Bryant’s memory.
On Friday, Aug. 8, the late NBA legend was celebrated with his very own bobblehead from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The date of celebration, 8/8, pays tribute to the jersey number he wore for the first half of his career.
Ahead of the Dodgers’ game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Vanessa and their daughters — Natalia, 22, Bianka, 8, Capri, 6 — were spotted commemorating the basketball star’s legacy.
The younger daughters were able to participate in the pre-game activities, with Bianka throwing out the first pitch to Freddie Freeman. Meanwhile, Capri took the mic for the traditional pre-game announcement and told the crowd, “It’s time for Dodgers baseball!
The celebration of Kobe’s bobblehead comes weeks after the Dodgers unveiled the special-edition Kobe bobblehead. The design includes Kobe wearing his No. 24 Lakers jersey and the Nike Kobe 6 Protro Dodgers while holding a baseball bat.
The exclusive bobblehead is only available at Dodgers Stadium. Fans had to attend the Friday, Aug. 8 game, and the first 40,000 ticketed fans who went through the gates received a free bobblehead.
The recent celebratory giveaway follows the Dodgers’ ongoing tradition of paying tribute to the late athlete.
During the 2023 Lakers Night, fans received a black snakeskin Dodgers jersey, in reference to Kobe’s famed nickname, “Black Mamba.” The jersey included Bryant’s No. 8 on the front and No. 24 on the back. The jerseys were made available again in 2024.
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Additionally, this isn’t the Bryant family’s first time honoring Kobe’s memory with the crowd. On Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024, Vanessa and Bianka threw the first pitch to kick off the MLB team’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Bianka could be seen winding up and then throwing an impressive pitch down the plate at Dodgers Stadium to be caught by right fielder Mookie Betts, in a video shared on X by a Los Angeles Lakers fan account.
The tributes to Kobe come five years after he and 13-year-old daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash.
In the years since, Los Angeles has paid tribute to the pair, including a mural in Downtown Los Angeles that depicts Kobe in his Lakers uniform kissing his daughter Gigi, who holds a basketball. There are a total of 26 murals of Kobe around Los Angeles County, according to Secret Los Angeles.
There are also three Kobe Bryant Statues at Crypto.com Arena, including a 19-foot-tall marble statue, as well as a bronze statue titled “Girl Dad” of Kobe and Gigi.
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