The death of Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter Gigi and seven other passengers, left the world in shock on January 26, 2020, a moment that prevented the daughter of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar from playing with the team of her dreams, none other than the University of Connecticut (UConn Huskies).
The Ghosts of Kobe Bryant and Gigi Behind UConn’s Title
UConn secured their 12th title after overcoming an 82-59 victory in the NCAA National Championship game, a match that Gigi Bryant would have played as a freshman since she never hid her love for the Huskies team.
Kobe Bryant talking about Gigi when UConn played UCLA in the Final Four
Now this video resurfaces to remind us how special the college program was to Kobe’s little daughter who died in the Calabasas, California air crash.
In this resurfaced video, after UConn’s victory, Reggie Miller can be seen interacting with Kobe Bryant, asking him to have his daughter play for UCLA instead of UConn, to which the former Lakers star responded that she wanted to go to the university of her dreams.
According to various reports, Bryant was a close friend of Geno Auriemma, with whom Gigi dreamed of playing someday.
“My daughter loves Gabby Williams, absolutely loves Gabby, loves [all of them],” Bryant said to the Hartford Courant that year. “She watches their interviews, watches how they play and learns – not just in wins, but in tough losses, how they conduct themselves. It’s great, as a parent, to be able to see my daughter pull inspiration from them.”
“Gigi would’ve loved being there with you,” Vanessa Bryant wrote, congratulating the University of Connecticut. Something that made us remember that yes, Gigi would have been there, and we never got to know her potential playing at the highest level.
It would have been crazy to see Kobe’s daughter playing alongside Paige Bueckers, together turning it into the most decorated basketball program of all time. Instead, only her memory will remain. But there’s always the possibility that Gigi helped from another plane, aiding the university she always loved but to which she never belonged.
