Vanessa Bryant's Birthday Tribute To Kobe Will Leave You In Tears

In January of 2020, Vanessa Bryant faced the unimaginable when she lost her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter, Gianna Bryant, in a helicopter crash. The pair and seven others were on their way to a youth basketball game when the helicopter encountered foggy weather conditions and crashed into the mountainside in Calabasas, California. A few days after the crash, Vanessa broke her silence. "There aren't enough words to describe our pain right now," she wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post, per ESPN. "I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved." She added that "they were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon."

Vanessa has been incredibly vulnerable in sharing her heartache with fans, and she doesn't shy away from sharing Instagram tributes and posts dedicated to Kobe and Gianna, especially on special days. In April, Vanessa shared a throwback photo of herself and Kobe on what would have been their 21st wedding anniversary. "I love you forever, baby. Happy Anniversary," she wrote, making sure to tag Kobe's Instagram page in the upload. The year before, Vanessa posted a photo of herself and Kobe on their wedding day. Again, she kept the caption short while still tugging at her followers' heartstrings. "Happy Anniversary, baby. I love you. 20 years," she shared, adding a single red heart emoji to the end of her post.

Now, Vanessa is paying tribute to Kobe on another important day — what would have been his 44th birthday.

Kobe Bryant may be gone, but there's no doubt his wife, Vanessa Bryant, is doing her best to keep the former Los Angeles Lakers star's memory alive. Vanessa regularly posts photos and videos of her late husband on social media, most notably on milestones that are important to her. On August 23, the mother of four took to Instagram to share a touching tribute to her husband. The update included a throwback shot of Vanessa and Kobe caught in an embrace. The pair was all smiles as Kobe wrapped his arm around Vanessa, and she rested her head on his chest.

"Happy birthday, baby! I love you and miss you so much!" Vanessa wrote in the caption, making sure to include a hashtag with the number 44 to commemorate what would have been his 44th birthday. Some of Vanessa's famous friends made sure to comment on the post. "Happy birthday I love you V!!!" Khloé Kardashian wrote alongside a series of red heart emoji. Several other fans also chimed in on the tribute post. "Happy Birthday Kobe! You are so missed," one person commented. "Love you V! Happy birthday to your love," another added.

In May, Vanessa shared another special birthday tribute to her late daughter, Gianna Bryant. She posted a picture of herself and Gianna laughing at what appeared to be a game. "I love you baby. Happy Birthday Mamacita," she captioned the upload. Bring us some tissues.