Vanessa Bryant posted to social media a touching tribute to her late husband, Kobe, on Monday, which would have been his 43rd birthday.
In a note accompanying a photo of her and the late basketball legend kissing, Vanessa wrote, “Happy birthday, Papi,” and, in Spanish, “I love you forever” and “eternal love,” next to a broken-heart emoji and the number 43.
Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a January 26, 2020, helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, that also took the lives of fellow passengers Alyssa Altobelli, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester and Christina Mauser, as well as pilot Ara Zobayan.
In February of this year, the National Transportation Safety Board primarily blamed Zobayan for the deadly crash, which occurred when he got disoriented in poor flying conditions. The agency also faulted Island Express Helicopters Inc., which operated the aircraft, for poor oversight of pilot review and other safety matters.
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