Natalia Bryant Makes Emotional Tribute To 'Best Girl Dad' Kobe

There's no doubt that Los Angeles Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant, made the term "girl dad" go viral — especially following his untimely death in 2020. While fans always knew Kobe as one of the best basketball players of all time, his family simply knew him as the best girl dad on the planet. Kobe was the proud father of Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, and Capri. After the star's death, ESPN anchor Elle Duncan recalled a conversation with Kobe after she told him that she was having a girl. "I asked him for advice on raising girls ... And he said, 'Just be grateful that you've been given that gift because girls are amazing,'" Duncan recalled. In the same conversation, Kobe gushed over his fatherly title, including when talking about the prospect of trying for a fifth child so his wife Vanessa could get a boy, though Kobe would have been happy with another princess. "I would have five more girls if I could. I'm a girl dad," he said.

Kobe has spoken about the girl dad title on several other occasions, and there's no doubt that he embraced it — frequently gushing over his daughters on social media, including his eldest daughter — Natalia. "Happy Birthday my baby. I love you beyond measure. You will always be my little Principessa," he wrote in 2020 on what happened to be one of his last Instagram posts before his death. Now, it's Natalia's turn to honor her dad, and her emotional tribute makes us feel all the feels.

Grab the tissues because Natalia Bryant just gave a tear-jerking tribute to her late father, Kobe Bryant, and it's safe to say that there was not a dry eye in the house. The TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood honored the NBA star by putting a cement block with his hand and footprints permanently outside of the forecourt. Obviously, this is a tremendous honor. Natalia spoke at the special event, beginning her speech by calling Kobe the "MVP of girl dads," a title that Kobe was always happy to get when he was alive.

The college student continued, "I'm honored to be here today to recognize the man that we all knew and love, my dad, Kobe Bryant. Let me tell you he is the MVP of girl dads, to say the least." Natalia then touched on how special it will be for fans to be able to come to Los Angeles to see the tribute. "Dad, you're an icon, a legend, a storyteller, and most importantly, the best girl dad any young woman could ever dream of," she concluded. "I'm honored to be here to represent you and our family, and we are extremely proud of you. We will love you forever and always." And cue the tears.

Natalia's mom, Vanessa Bryant, thanked her for speaking at the event on Instagram, saying that she knew "how hard it is to do what you did today."