Kobe Bryant was a girl’s man – 4 daughters and he raised them to be fierce independent women. His final gesture reminds us of a painful departure.
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Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant have four children together—all girls. Openly proud of being a girl dad, Kobe Bryant had the names of his first three girls tattooed on his arm-the addition for the fourth was scheduled. He wanted to get his fourth daughter’s name tattooed in February 2020. And he was probably ecstatic to have all of his girls’ names tattooed on his arm.
A proud father of four, Kobe only made it to January 26 of that year, and everything has gone to the dogs since. We’ve had a pandemic, the monarchs of England dying, a change in the presidency, and yet no respite. Kobe was only 2 weeks away from finishing his sleeve and wearing the names of his kids until he was old.
Also Read: Kobe Bryant Once Lost $40,000 for a No-Show at a Charity Event During the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend
Tattoos these days don’t follow any meaning, “your body is a temple” is an outdated saying
Remember the days when kids used to scribble on the benches at school? What they called vandalism back in the day, they now call art. Players are tatted up from head to toe, with random scribblings all over their bodies. The best example is D’Angelo Russell, whose tattoos are more random than a roll of a die.
(The thumbnail is for clicks – Kyrie Irving does not have a cross tattooed on his forehead – he’s Muslim and is not inspired by 21 Savage.)
The need to portray oneself as a unique individual has taken over the world—you already are, even without ink splattered all over you. Your DNA is different, your fingerprints, and the effect you have on your surroundings-no are two people are alike. Except for twins, and even then, one is ever so slightly eviler than the other, if comic books are anything to go by.
Also Read: Vanessa Bryant “Manipulated” Kobe Bryant’s Lakers Teammates Into Buying “Girl Scout Cookies”!
Kobe Bryant always put family first – he had a broken relationship with his parents and didn’t want his kids to feel that way
Kobe Bryant knew how it felt to not have his parents support him—the iconic photo of him brooding with the trophy had a story behind it. His parents disapproved of his relationship with Vanessa Bryant and didn’t attend his wedding or the 2001 NBA finals. He was distraught. Not having his family for two of the most important days of his life took a toll on him.
He took that feeling and never wanted his kids to feel the same. He struggled every day to make their lives easier. And when it was time to let go, he truly let go. He did not leave a string dangling or a path of breadcrumbs back to the life of NBA basketball. He truly disconnected from the NBA, taking up coaching and being a good father.
Up until his death, Kobe remained a doting dad—the memories of him as a dad will remain that way, forever. His tattoo sleeve may not be complete, but the intention of getting it done is enough for the family.
Also Read: Kobe Bryant Once Used ‘Kuroko no Basket’ Reference to Explain How He Scored 81 Points in a Game
