The tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Maria have inspired people everywhere to hold their loved ones tight.
Some celebrities are even sharing their favorite #GirlDad memories as a way to honor the special relationship Kobe had with his four girls.
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The world is still reeling from the tragic deaths of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Maria.
As previously reported , the pair had been traveling via helicopter to Gianna’s basketball practice when low visibility from fog caused the aircraft to crash in Calabasas.
The tragic incident killed all nine passengers, including baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter, Alyssa.
Kobe is survived by his wife Vanessa Bryant and their three other daughters, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.
The basketball legend was a family man in every sense of the word.
As a dad to four children, all girls, he once described himself as a “girl dad” to ESPN reporter Elle Duncan.
He also gushed that “girls are the best” and that he “would have five more girls if I could.”
Since then, Vanessa Bryant has released a statement on the passing of her husband and child.
“Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality,” she said.
“To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy.”
“To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org.”
After Elle Duncan of ESPN recalled a sweet memory with the late Kobe, the hashtag #GirlDad began trending.
Soon, many celebrity fathers began sharing their sweet family photos with the viral hashtag.
Check out the gallery below to see the touching images.
1. Alex Rodriguez
The former professional athlete wrote on Twitter that he’s “so proud and lucky to be a #GirlDad” to his two daughters, Natasha, 15, and Ella, 11.
He’s also the soon-to-be stepdad of fiancée Jennifer Lopez’s little girl!
2. Chrissy Teigen
The model and cookbook author perfectly summed up the special bond between fathers and daughters on Twitter.
She also shared the sweet moment between husband John Legend and their daughter Luna when she was born.
3. CJ Johnson
The football star may look tough, but he always has a soft side for his daughter.
He recently shared this sweet image of them traveling together on an airplane and then another of her sleeping on his lap.
4. Bow Wow
“#girldad I LOVE YOU SHAI” the rapper captioned this adorable image of him and his eight-year-old daughter, Shai Moss.
5. Timbaland
The musician has all the love in the world for his 12-year-old daughter, Reign.
Days earlier, he posted a touching tribute to Kobe on Twitter, by writing: “your hard work, tenacity, and dedication to greatness pushed the world.”
6. George Stephanopoulos
The Good Morning America anchor is a #proud girl dad to his two daughters, Elliot, 17, and Harper, 14.
Although the girls are three years apart, they look like twins!
7. Kyle Rudolph
The Minnesota Vikings player wrote that he is “raising 2 #Mambacita’s” in this sweet pic.
This is a reference to the nickname Bryant gave to himself called “The Black Mamba.”
8. Al Roker
There was nothing but happiness on the horizon in this adorable image the longtime NBC weatherman shared on Instagram.
“Proud to be a #girldad,” he wrote.
9. Russell Wilson
The Seattle Seahawks quarterback showed the joy that comes with being a #girldad by sharing these silly shots with his daughter, Sienna Princess.
10. Ryan Switzer
The Pittsburgh Steelers NFL player may not be a dad yet, but he knows that he will be a #girldad once his wife gives birth to their daughter!
11. Eric Sogard
The professional baseball player, who has four kids with his wife, Kaycee, knows that there’s something special about being a #girldad.
12. Jeffrey Dean Morgan
The Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan shared an adorable video of his daughter combing what little hair he has on his head.
It gave us major heart eyes.
13. Ryan McGee
A writer for ESPN showed just how alike he and his daughter are in a photo that displays their full level sass.
That’s what being a father-daughter duo is all about!
