When Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna passed away, the entire world felt a deep void. His death didn’t just impact basketball fans but broke the hearts of the masses. Bryant is remembered as a cold-blooded killer on the court, but his legacy far transcends the game of basketball. His role as a father and husband resonates in the public’s sentiment. Yankees legend Derek Jeter didn’t expect his first encounter with the Lakers superstar to go the way it did. Instead of the conversing as competitors, family was at the forefront.
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Following Bryant’s 2016 retirement, people began to learn just how much of a family man the five-time NBA champion was. Kobe coined the term “girl dad,” which perfectly embodied who he was to his four daughters, Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri. However, during his career, the average person gave no notice to this side of Bryant’s personality.
Derek Jeter mourned the death of Bryant in 2020. He penned an emotional tribute to his dear friend on The Players’ Tribune, highlighting his first meeting with Kobe.
“But when I think of Kobe, I really just end up thinking about those special few personal conversations that we were lucky enough to share together, each time one of us had a new baby daughter,” Jeter said. “He loved his family—he was his family. That’s what was important. And that’s the Kobe I’ll remember.”
Jeter doesn’t remember Bryant for his basketball skills. Of course, that is a big part of who Kobe was, but it doesn’t tell the full story. His love for his family, though, paints the picture of the Black Mamba’s true nature.
This wasn’t the first time the five-time World Series champion opened up about his relationship with Bryant.
Jeter and Bryant weren’t close during their careers
Despite being two of the greatest players of their respective sports, Jeter and Bryant didn’t speak much. They had a profound respect for one another, but the line didn’t budge. That would change once they both reached retirement and began to do events together.
“I got to know [Kobe] a little bit more after I retired,” Jeter revealed. “We never had a conversation about baseball or basketball. It was all family-related.”
Jeter said he used to tease Bryant about the number of daughters he had. As time has passed, Jeter ironically had three daughters of his own and couldn’t help but think of Bryant’s relationship with his girls. Although Bryant and Jeter didn’t have a long friendship, their connection carried substance.
Jeter believes it’s imperative to know people off the court or off the field. Get to understand them apart from who they are as an athlete and more as a person. If he had never done that, he would never have gained such a good friend in Kobe.
