Wednesday was August 24, but it wasn’t just another one of the dog days of summer. It’s designated, at least in Los Angeles, “Mamba/Kobe Bryant Day” to honor the late Lakers superstar player who left us too soon in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, which also took his daughter Gianna; his uniform numbers were 8 and 24.
Fans might also know that Tuesday would have been Kobe’s 44th birthday. Several of the late athlete’s loved ones commemorated him with bittersweet messages and flashback images on social media, including his sister Sharia Washington and his daughter Natalia, People reports. Vanessa, Vanessa’s widow shared a message on Instagram wishing him happy birthday.
“Happy birthday, baby! You are loved and missed so very much by me! #44 ❤️,” Vanessa wrote as a caption accompanying the smiling photo of the pair. In the snap, Kobe is seen wearing a baseball hat and a 2009 NBA Championships T-shirt which his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won.
It somehow seems appropriate then for some positive news to break the family’s way this week.
Jim Thompson, a California-based colleague, wrote recently a legal analysis of the suit filed by Vanessa Bryant (the widow of NBA Hall of Famer), on behalf of his family. Here’s a summary of the suit:
World learned from County officials that they took photographs of the crash site showing wreckage and body parts. Those photos were shared by Sheriff’s deputies with other deputies, and those deputies showed them to people like girls at bars and bartenders. Once he saw the photos, the Sheriff ordered that all photos be deleted. There is currently no proof that the photos of cops exist.
Vanessa Bryant learned about the photos too and, in September 2020 filed a lawsuit against the Sheriff of Los Angeles and the LA County for emotional distress.
Now, there’s a decision from the jury in the case, according to the Associated Press:
Kobe Bryant’s widow was awarded $16 million as part of a $31 million jury verdict Wednesday against Los Angeles County for deputies and firefighters sharing grisly photos of the NBA star, his 13-year-old daughter and other victims killed in a 2020 helicopter crash.
The nine jurors unanimously agreed with Vanessa Bryant and her attorneys that the photos invaded her privacy and caused emotional distress. The text was slowly read and she wept.
The AP noted that after the verdict, Vanessa returned to Instagram, writing to her late husband and daughter “Gigi,” next to a heartbreaking photo of the trio:
You are my everything! You are my best friend! JUSTICE to Gigi & Kobe #Betonyourself #MambaDay 8•24•22 💜💛💜💛 #MambaMentality