Snoop Dogg pays touching "love at first sight" tribute to Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa
5 February 2020, 13:19
The West Coast rapper remembers the late NBA legend and his relationship with his wife.
Snoop Dogg had paid another heartfelt tribute to Kobe Bryant, who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash on 26 January alongside his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven other victims.
Vanessa Bryant shares first post after deaths of "adoring" husband Kobe & "beautiful" daughter Gianna
The 'Gin And Juice' rapper, 48, posted a throwback photo of a young Kobe - who died aged 41 - and his wife Vanessa, who got engaged in 2000 after just six months of dating.
"Love at 1st sight here’s to. Kobe n. Vanessa," Snoop captioned the photo, which sees a tracksuit-clad Kobe with his arm wrapped around a young Vanessa, who snuggles into the basketball player's chest.
Snoop - a huge Lakers fan - posted his first tribute just hours after news of Kobe's tragic death broke, writing on Instagram, "Love is love how much I loved this man I’m so glad he knew. K. B. G. G." with a photo of the pair.
Vanessa, 37, wrote a lengthy statement days after disaster, which occurred after the aircraft Kobe, Gianna and the rest of the victims were travelling in came down in Calabasas, California.
"Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe - the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna - a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri," she wrote alongside a photograph of her family.
"We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately. There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now."
Fellow Lakers star LeBron James honoured the late NBA star with a huge leg tattoo of a black mamba, with the words 'Mamba 4 Life' underneath it. The tattoo also features Bryant's player number 24.
Gianna's teammate Alyssa Altobelli, her father, Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli and her mother, Keri Altobelli also died in the crash. Payton Chester, her mother Sarah Chester and basketball coach Christina Mauser were also killed.
