Vanessa Bryant celebrated the success of her close friend Sydney Leroux over the weekend. The National Women's Soccer League shared a clip of Leroux, a soccer player, receiving a jersey with the number "150" printed on the back. Surrounding her were Bryant, and her daughters Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.
The clip shows Leroux greeting Bryant and her daughters at the most recent Angel City game in Los Angeles. The brief ceremony took place in the pitch, minutes before the match, and showed Leroux, Bryant, the kids, and representatives of Angel City taking photos alongside the ceremonial jersey before kick-off.
Bryant also shared a video on her Instagram stories, captioning it "150," while adding various celebratory emojis. The clip features photos of herself and her daughters at the match, including various shots of herself and Leroux hugging each other tightly.
Bryant and Leroux have a friendship that dates back years, with the two meeting thanks to the influence of the late Kobe Bryant, who was an admirer of soccer and of Leroux's career. Since, Leroux became an important figure in the Bryant family's lives, becoming a mentor for the late Gigi Bryant. Gigi was also an athlete, and, according to Marca, sported the number "2" on her jersey due to her admiration for Leroux.
© Marcus IngramLeroux and Gigi's special bond
Following the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, Leroux spent plenty of time with the Bryants. She shared a post of her own, sharing her grief with the world and showing the special bond she shared with Gigi. "Gigi, you were a star. Your dad told me that you were going to be better than he was," Leroux wrote. "2 will always be ours."
Leroux also discussed her friendship with Kobe and some of the things she'd miss in his absence. "For your crazy book recommendations and your quotes... helping me write... teaching me to never soften for anybody... teaching me about the darkness and the light and the villains becoming the heroes," she wrote.
