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Sabrina Ionescu is committed to living the legacy of Kobe Bryant and has found inspiration in the lives of her daughter, Gianna, and her teammates, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester.
A year after their deaths, she reflected on the loss and how she honors their legacy.
Ionescu honors Kobe’s legacy, Gigi
Ionescu, 23, counted Bryant as a mentor and close friend. While working with Bryant in Los Angeles ahead of his senior season in Oregon, she twice helped coach the Mamba Ballers, the 13-year-old team Gianna played for with Alyssa and Payton.
The New York Liberty leader remains close to the Bryant family: Kobe’s wife, Vanessa, and daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri. She shared how she honors their legacy in a statement to Yahoo Sports:
I carry Kobe and Gigi with me every day and honor their legacy through my dedication to the game. I wake up every day grateful for the platform given to me and strive to lead by example and to serve as a role model for young people and especially girls to play sports – a platform that Kobe and Gigi were passionate about. I saw the way he supported his family and his constant advocacy for women’s basketball. His encouragement and promotion of equality in sport as well as his Mamba Mentality are what motivates me today.
Ionescu was minutes away from hitting the court for a rivalry match against the State of Oregon when she learned of the helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. All nine who were on board en route to a Mamba Academy basketball game died in the crash. Ionescu wore “Forever 24 <3" on his sneakers for Bryant's jersey number with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ionescu says she will live out Bryant’s legacy
Ionescu honored Bryant and the teens on Instagram in the days following the crash, calling Bryant a “mentor, inspiration idol and close friend.”
“You took me under your wing and believed in me more than I believed in myself,” she wrote. “I have only one choice. To live your legacy. You will live through me forever, and you will watch over me every step of the way, for you have the best place in the house.
On the same day she commemorated her mentor at a Celebration of Life at Staples Center, she became the first player in Division I college basketball history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in her career. .
Weeks later, Ionescu’s final year and first shot at an NCAA National Championship were cut short when the NCAA tournament was called off due to COVID-19. In May, she was Liberty’s first selection, but her rookie season was cut short by a Grade 3 ankle sprain in her third professional game.
The triple-double queen looks set to return to the field even stronger in 2021 and has considered playing abroad during the WNBA offseason. The Liberty have the No.1 pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft held in May. His status alone has brought new fans into the league.
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