Aug. 23, 2026, would have been Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s 48th birthday.

The sports world never fully got over the tragic passing of Kobe and his daughter, Gianna, on Jan. 26, 2020. And his birthday arriving on Sunday serves as a bitter reminder about losing the late legend and his daughter way too soon.

Nobody was hit harder by this than Kobe’s longtime wife, Vanessa, who shared a touching tribute to Kobe on Sunday morning.

Vanessa Bryant’s Instagram post was captioned, “Happy birthday, baby. I love you so much. ❤️🙏🏽 8/23,” and showed him sitting on top of her on a lawn chair, with both of them smiling wide.

Many prominent names have commented on this post, such as WNBA and Los Angeles Sparks legend Candace Parker, who simply put, “❤️❤️❤️❤️”.

Twenty-three-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps added, “❤️❤️,” while Kobe and Vanessa’s other daughter, Natalia, also put, “❤️”.

Kobe was already one of the most beloved athletes in Los Angeles history, given that he brought five championships to the Lakers during his iconic 20-season career. And the entire community came together to support one another in the wake of his and Gianna’s passing.

Vanessa has always done a wonderful job of honoring Kobe’s memory, and this wholesome-yet-heartbreaking tribute for his birthday is another example of that.