The NBA legend’s daughter reflected on what it was like having Kobe Bryant as her dad in a new interview with ‘Teen Vogue.’
Late NBA icon Kobe Bryant’s oldest daughter Natalia Bryant, 18, made her debut on the cover of Teen Vogue for its September issue. Besides looking gorgeous in her photos, Natalia spoke about both her aspirations and what impact her dad and his legacy left on her. The model and University of Southern California student’s interview with the fashion magazine was released on Wednesday September 8.
Most touchingly, Natalia explained how she wanted to honor her father’s legacy, after he and her younger sister Gianna were tragically killed in a 2020 helicopter crash. “I love talking about my dad,” she told Teen Vogue. “It’s bittersweet, but I enjoy talking about him more than it’s sad for me.” Besides sharing stories about Kobe, Natalia also explained how the family tries to keep their dad and Gigi in mind everyday. “[For] my little sisters [we’re] trying to keep that memory for them. And also just trying to remember to live out every day the way they would,” she said towards the end of the interview, when asked about how the family is doing.
Natalia spoke about how Kobe and Vanessa tried to make her upbringing “as normal as possible,” and spoke about her bond with her dad. She told a sweet story about Los Angeles Lakers legend taking her to see Rise of Skywalker in 2019. “He was just like the best girl dad ever. He was just letting me play my playlist and jam out to Taylor Swift the whole ride back, and talk about Star Wars too. It was so much fun,” she said.
Other than her dad, Natalia spoke about two of her passions: volleyball and fashion. She had aspirations of becoming a model after seeing a fashion show on TV as a young girl. While she’s taken a break from volleyball, Natalia has signed with IMG Models. Even though her mom has been supportive, she also mentioned that Vanessa prioritized education. “For my mom, it was really important for me to go through high school and get my education. Especially complete college too,” she explained. Now a student and model, the profile showed how mature Kobe’s daughter is and how ready she is for her own young adulthood.