Vanessa Bryant Remembers Kobe on His 45th Birthday: 'I Love You Always and Forever'

Vanessa Bryant paid tribute to Kobe Bryant on what would have been his birthday.

"Happy birthday, baby. I love you always & forever," Vanessa wrote in a post on Instagram that also included a series of pictures of them together. She also included a hashtag with his date of birth (#82378).

The Los Angeles Lakers legend would have turned 45 years old on Wednesday. He was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2020.

Vanessa and Kobe were married in April 2001. The couple had four daughters together. Kobe and Gianna, the couple's second child, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in California on Jan. 26, 2020.

In addition to celebrating Kobe's birthday on Wednesday, Thursday marks the annual Mamba Day in tribute to the two numbers he wore during his NBA career.

Nike debuted the Kobe 8 Protro "Halo" shoe on Wednesday that was designed by Vanessa Bryant. The Ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier will illuminate Bryant's No. 8 and 24 in Lakers purple and gold on Thursday night, according to ABC7.