KEY POINTS
- Vanessa Bryant shared her wedding photo with late husband Kobe Bryant for what would have been their 20th wedding anniversary
- She also posted a clip of the late NBA star opening up about their enduring bond as a couple through the years
- Pau Gasol and his wife Catherine McDonnell also celebrated Vanessa and Kobe's wedding anniversary
Vanessa Bryant paid tribute to her late husband Kobe Bryant on what would have been their 20th wedding anniversary.
On Sunday, Vanessa, 38, took to Instagram to post a photo of the altar kiss they shared on their wedding day. In the caption, Kobe’s widow professed her love for him even though two decades have passed since they tied the knot.
“Happy Anniversary, baby. I love you. 20 years,” she wrote.
In a follow-up post, Vanessa shared a clip of the late Los Angeles Lakers player addressing their strong bond as a couple.
“We have a good time together. I love her tremendously. We’re best friends too. It’s a blessing,” Kobe could be heard saying as the video plays their sweet moments captured on camera.
“I love you for now, forever and for always,” Vanessa captioned her second post.
Many of the couple’s fans quickly flooded Vanessa’s posts with heart emojis. Several also wrote sweet messages to celebrate the couple’s anniversary.
“20 years but forever in your heart,” one commented.
“True love indeed last forever. Happy Heavenly Anniversary Kobe! Happy Anniversary V [heart emoji] Love this beautiful picture,” another added.
Pau Gasol, one of Kobe’s NBA teammates and his close friend, also greeted Vanessa on the couple’s special day by sending the latter a beautiful heart-shaped arrangement of roses, People reported.
Gasol’s wife, Catherine McDonnell, also shared a sweet message for Vanessa and the late NBA star via an Instagram Story. “Happy Anniversary to two incredible soulmates + 20 years of true love. We love you, V+KB,” she wrote.
Kobe and Vanessa first met during a music video shoot back in 1999. At the time, Vanessa was still in high school, while the basketball player was 20 years old. They hit it off right away and got engaged when Vanessa turned 18.
The couple officially tied the knot on April 18, 2001, at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California, as per Entertainment Tonight.
The pair went on to welcome four daughters together: Natalia, 18, Bianka, 4, Capri, 1, and Gianna, who was only 13 when she and her dad passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Jan. 26, 2020.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa arrive for the taping of the 2009 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles July 15, 2009. Photo: Reuters
