Vanessa Bryant Honors Gianna's 20th with $500,000 Scholarships

Vanessa Bryant marked what would have been her late daughter Gianna's 20th birthday on Friday with an emotional Instagram tribute and a major scholarship announcement through the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.

Bryant posted a throwback photo of herself kissing Gianna, captioning it, "Happy birthday to my sweet baby angel, Gianna. Words cant express how much I love and miss you mamacita. Mommy loves you so much! HappyBirthday 20." The post drew supportive comments from celebrities including LeBron James, Sabrina Ionescu, Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kelly Rowland and La La Anthony. Gianna's older sister, Natalia Bryant, responded with a string of heart emojis.

In coordination with the tribute, the foundation announced $500,000 in scholarships for 20 student-athletes from Los Angeles and Orange counties. Each recipient, selected for embodying resilience, teamwork and family values, received $25,000 along with Mamba and Mambacita-branded gear such as shoes and jerseys. The awards were presented in a video at the Kobe and Gigi Bryant Dream Court in Anaheim's Pearson Park, honoring one student per year of Gianna's life. "Congratulations to all of our 2026 Scholars! We are...