Kobe Bryant’s Daughter Natalia Throws First Pitch on Lakers Night at Dodger Stadium

Natalia Bryant is paying tribute to her father Kobe.

On Friday night (September 1), the 20-year-old University of Southern California student threw the first pitch at Lakers night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Natalia was joined by her mother, Vanessa, and sisters, 6-year-old Bianka and 4-year-old Capri. She shared a sweet moment with All-Star Mookie Betts, who was handling catching duties for the night.

The Braves and the Dodgers both lined up alongside the first and third base sides, with the fans chanting Kobe‘s name as Natalia and her family were introduced.

The Bryant family honored Kobe with an emotional handprint ceremony at the TCL Theater in Hollywood earlier this year. See all the photos here.

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The 20-year-old model took the mound at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium during an evening that honored the legacy of her father’s team.

Natalia Bryant was all smiles at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ annual “Lakers Night,” where she made a special appearance with her family to honor father and NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

The 20-year-old model threw the ceremonial first pitch at “Lakers Night” on Friday, Sept. 1 during a matchup between the Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves.

Collaborating with Natalia Bryant, the Dodgers wrote in a post on Instagram, “Welcome back to Dodger Stadium, Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka and Capri! Thank you for joining us to celebrate the legacies of Kobe and Gigi on Lakers Night.”

In her own post, Natalia Bryant shared three photos on the field Friday night, the last of which she’s showing off blue shoes from Nike’s Kobe line.

“LA love,” she wrote, adding a white heart emoji.

In a moment honoring her dad, Natalia Bryant held her younger sister, Capri, while standing beside mother Vanessa Bryant and sister Bianka.

They were joined by Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, who donned Kobe Bryant’s iconic Lakers jersey.

Kobe Bryant spent his entire 20-year career playing for the Lakers, originally sporting No. 8 before changing to the No. 24 jersey. He retired in 2016.

The superstar athlete and wife Vanessa Bryant welcomed four children together: Natalia, Gianna “Gigi”, Bianka and Capri. Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gigi died in a helicopter crash in January 2020, along with seven other people.

On Aug. 23, Natalia Bryant uploaded a picture to Instagram of her dad holding her when she was a toddler to celebrate what would’ve been his 45th birthday. He wore a Dodgers cap and jersey in the snap.

“Happy Birthday Daddy❤️” she wrote in the caption.

Vanessa Bryant also paid tribute to her husband, whom she married in 2001.

She uploaded a carousel of photos of them kissing, gazing into each other’s eyes and attending red carpet events together.

 

“Happy 45th birthday, baby,” she said. “I love you always & forever. ❤️” She added the hashtag “#82378,” which represents his birth date of Aug. 23, 1978.

Since his death, the 41-year-old philanthropist has continued to express her love for Kobe Bryant and Gigi and honor their legacy. She also never misses an opportunity to praise Natalia, Bianka, 6, and Capri, 4.

Vanessa Bryant welcomed her oldest daughter to her 20s with a sweet birthday post in January.

“Happy 20th birthday @nataliabryant !!!” she cheered. “Welcome to your 20’s!!!!!! We love you so much baby!!!”

The model joined her mom and sisters in March at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre for a ceremony that unveiled a special tribute to her father. Kobe Bryant’s handprints and footprints are now permanently displayed in front of the historic theatre. Natalia Bryant gave a speech at the event unveiling the prints.

She credited her father for encouraging her to currently pursue a film degree at the University of Southern California.

“He is the reason film has inspired me to create memories like ours for other people to even bring more fathers and daughters together like us,” she shared. “This all brings me to this moment now, which makes honoring my dad here 10 times more special and personal to me in so many ways.”

She added, “As you visit here for years to come, I encourage you to place your hands in his and take a moment to stand in his shoes.”