Vanessa Bryant celebrates Kobe Bryant’s 44th birthday in loving Instagram post

Former NBA star, along with eight others, died in a helicopter crash in January 2020

Vanessa Bryant has honoured her late husband and basketball legend Kobe Bryant on what would have been his 44th birthday.

The former NBA star died alongside his daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

On Tuesday (23 August), Vanessa shared an old photo on Instagram, with the caption: “Happy birthday, baby! I love and miss you so much!”

Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa and their three daughters, Natalia, 19, Bianka, 5, and Capri, 3.

His eldest daughter also paid tribute on Instagram with a throwback photo of her as a young child sitting on her father’s lap.

“Happy Birthday Daddy!” Natalia wrote.

Vanessa is currently in a legal battle after suing Los Angeles County.

Her lawyers have told a jury that in the days after the accident, police and fire officials employed by the county showed off photos of the crash site, with pictures including the victims’ bodies.

“January 26, 2020, was and always will be the worst day of Vanessa Bryant’s life,” her lawyer Luis Li told the jury.

“County employees exploited the accident. They took and shared pictures of Kobe and Gianna as souvenirs... They poured salt in an unhealable wound.”

Read more about the trial here.