Los Angeles Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss broke her silence on Thursday following the tragic death of NBA legendKobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven othersin a helicopter crash on Sunday.
In an emotional post to herInstagram page, Buss — who took over as owner of the Lakers following the death of her father, Jerry Buss, in 2013 — reflected on Bryant’s importance to her family and to the franchise he called home for 20 years.
Recalling a lunch she shared with Bryant and Gianna, Buss, 58, said the two played an important part in her healing following the death of her father.
“Kobe, I don’t know how to express what you mean to me, my family and the Los Angeles Lakers. My father loved you like a son, which makes us family,” she wrote in the post, which included a picture of herself and the Bryant family on the way to the NBA All-Star Game in 2016. “When you invited me to lunch shortly after my father passed away, I was struggling to find motivation and purpose.”
During the lunch, Bryant told Buss he invited Gianna to join them because he wanted his daughter to see “women can be leaders in the NBA, just like the men.”
“At first, it seemed like an action of a devoted father setting an example for his daughter,” Buss explained. “But in actuality – and I am positively sure you knew EXACTLY what you were doing – what you did was give me the inspiration and strength I was searching for.”
“I reflect on that day often and it makes me smile and it makes me strong,” Buss continued in her post. “I call on that memory whenever I feel down and need a bit of courage. For everything you did on the court that filled me with so much joy and love, for all the lives you changed through basketball itself, it was that day with Gigi that reignited my drive and determination.”
In her tribute, Buss addressed Bryant’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, 37, and their surviving daughters, Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and 7-month-old Capri.
Jeanie Buss and Kobe Bryant.
“Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri – I am so sorry for your loss. We are grateful to have you in our lives and we will always be here for you,” Buss wrote. “To the families that also lost loved ones on Sunday, the entire Laker family mourns with you. Laker Nation – we are one family grieving the loss of people we all loved dearly. We will mourn together, cry together but we will also heal together, love together and win TOGETHER. We love you.”
The crash is currently under investigation.
source: people.com
