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Vanessa Bryant Opens Letter from Kobe on Her 1st Birthday Since His Death

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured ColumnistMay 5, 2020

Kobe Bryant, right, and Vanessa Laine Bryant attend the 2018 Baby2Baby Gala on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Culver City, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Jordan Strauss/Associated Press

Vanessa Bryant opened a letter from her late husband, Kobe Bryant, to celebrate her birthday Tuesday. 

In an Instagram post, Bryant wrote she found an envelope that was addressed to her from Kobe:

"I waited to open one more letter on my birthday. It gave me something to look forward to today. The irony is that Kobe had a photo of me drawn with an Angel holding me up by an artist on the cover. Missing the Love of my Life and my sweet little Mamacita- my fellow Taurus. Grateful to wake up to my 3 sweet girls today. Wish we were all together."

Kobe and Gianna Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January. Last Friday, Bryant celebrated what would've been Gianna's 14th birthday:

ESPN @espn

"You are part of MY SOUL forever." Vanessa Bryant wished Gigi a happy 14th birthday ❤️ (via vanessabryant/Instagram) https://t.co/iQrOukn0XG

Byrant also spoke during the 2020 WNBA draft on April 17, when the WNBA named Gianna and her Mamba Sports Academy teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester as honorary draftees. Altobelli and Chester were among the victims in the crash.

Roughly two weeks earlier, Bryant accepted Kobe's nomination to the Basketball Hall of Fame on his behalf. The Los Angeles Lakers legend joined a 2020 class that includes Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Tamika Catchings, among others.