Kobe Bryant's daughter, Gigi, and two of her Mamba Academy teammates were remembered with emotional honorary selections in the 2020 WNBA Draft
- The WNBA honored the late Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gigi, and two of her Mamba Academy teammates before the 2020 WNBA Draft.
- The Bryants, Alyssa Altobelli, Payton Chester, and five others died in a tragic helicopter accident on January 26 of this year.
- WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert said Kobe was "not only a legendary basketball star but a devoted youth coach" and someone with "a passion for the WNBA and girls basketball."
- Engelbert then acknowledged the "next generation of stars in our league — maybe what might have been called 'The Mambacita Generation'" with honorary selections in this year's draft.
- The families of all three girls — including Kobe's widow, Vanessa — spoke during the emotional moment in the broadcast.
- "Thank you for honoring my little girl," Vanessa said. "It would've been a dream come true for her... she wanted to be one of the greatest athletes of all time, just like her daddy."
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The 2020 WNBA Draft is all about the next generation of women ballers — and now, Gigi Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli, and Payton Chester are among the ranks.
The three Mamba Academy teammates
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert acknowledged the three Mamba Academy teammates, who died alongside Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and five others in a January helicopter accident, with honorary selections in this year's draft.
Engelbert referred to the trio as the "next generation of stars in our league — maybe what might have been called 'The Mambacita Generation'" in honoring them before announcing the first official pick of the draft.
But first, Engelbert also took a moment to acknowledge their coach, and Gigi's father, Bryant. Engelbert said Kobe was "not only a legendary basketball star but a devoted youth coach" and someone with "a passion for the WNBA and girls basketball."
The families of all three girls — including Kobe's widow, Vanessa — spoke during the emotional moment in the broadcast.
"Thank you for honoring my little girl," Vanessa said. "It would've been a dream come true for her."
"She worked tirelessly every single day," she added. "She wanted to be one of the greatest athletes of all time, just like her daddy."
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