Casual NBA fans may not have known that the famously private Kobe Bryant had siblings.
After the legendary hardwood player passed away along with his daughter GiGi one week ago, Bryant’s two sisters spoke up on how this tragedy has “devastated” his blood relatives.
Sharia Washington and Shaya Tabb said they are “in grieving” along with Bryant’s widow Vanessa, 37, and his daughters Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months, over the loss of the beloved family member.
“On behalf of our family, we join Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka and Capri in grieving the loss of Kobe and Gianna in such a tragic accident,” they told iOne Digital in a statement. “We are devastated by the loss of our brother, son, our niece and granddaughter, and our hearts go out to all the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday.”
“Our lives are forever changed,” the sisters added, before thanking the public for their “prayers, the numerous calls, texts, emails and cards.”
The sisters’ statement follows Vanessa Bryant’s Instagram post where she shared her state of mind in the aftermath of this unbelievable tragedy.
“We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately. There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now,” she continued. “I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon.”
