Last year was difficult for Natalia Bryant. She experienced a tragedy no family ever wants to face when her father NBA legend Kobe Bryant and her sister Gianna passed away.
On her Instagram story, Natalia shared a photo of her at her “lowest” moment. The photo was of Natalia standing outside and smiling. But appearances can be deceiving. Kobe Bryant’s daughter revealed that no one realized how much pain she was going through at the moment. She also offered words of inspiration for others.
“I genuinely think that it is so important to find your close circle of trusted people. And be able to vocalize your feelings to them when you are down or not feeling like yourself,” she wrote in a caption. “This is also a lot easier said than done but just know that you are never alone. This is something I have learned throughout this year. And still, continue to work at with the help of close family and friends.”
Kobe Bryant Died in a Helicopter Crash
Natalia and her family had to go through the holidays for the first time without Kobe Bryant and Gianna being there. Both passed away on Jan. 26, 2020, in a helicopter crash. It’s been almost a year since their deaths. Bryant’s passing sent shockwaves across both the sports world and the nation.
Since his death, many colleagues and former teammates have posted tributes to his legacy. But for Natalia, she didn’t lose a sports legend. She lost a father and a sister that day. But she’s continuing to find the will to face every day and inspire others with her words.
Bryant had high hopes for his daughters and expressed for them to work hard during his 2017 jersey retirement speech.
“You guys know if you do the work, if you work hard enough dreams come true,” Bryant said at the time. “You know that. We all know that. But hopefully what you get from tonight is the understanding that those times when you get up early and you work hard. Those times when you stay up late and work hard. Those times when you don’t feel like working and you’re too tired and you don’t want to push yourself but you do it anyway. That is actually the dream. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”
