LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 08: Vanessa Bryant,left with her children Capri, Bianka and Natalia look on during the national anthem on Kobe Bryant bobble head night prior to the MLB game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 8, 2025 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

HEARTWARMING

Vanessa Bryant and her girls honor Kobe with the Dodgers - Bianka takes the mound!

Kobe Bryant was a huge Dodgers fan

Senior Writer

AUGUST 11, 2025 6:32 PM EDTAUG 11, 2025, 6:32 PM EDT

It was a special Friday night for Kobe Bryant's family. On August 8, the Los Angeles Dodgers paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Lakers legend for their game against the Toronto Blue Jays with a special bobblehead giveaway, coinciding with the iconic date that honors his original jersey number, 8. Kobe was a longtime Dodgers fan.

Kobe Bryant sits with Natalia and Vanessa during the Los Angeles Dodgers contest against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium, June 20, 2004

The emotional night was a touching celebration of Kobe’s legacy, attended by his wife Vanessa Bryant and their daughters Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.

The bobblehead features Kobe dressed in his classic No. 24 Lakers uniform, sporting the Nike Kobe 6 Protro Dodgers sneakers and holding a baseball bat, made as an homage to his love for both basketball and Dodgers baseball.

The first 40,000 fans entering the game against the Toronto Blue Jays received a bobblehead, and adding to the special evening, Kobe’s youngest daughters played starring roles in the pre-game ceremonies.

Los Angeles, CA - August 08: Bianka Bryant tosses out the ceremonial pitch on Kobe Bryant bobble head night prior to a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, August 8, 2025. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) — Bianka tosses out the ceremonial pitch on Kobe Bryant bobble head

8-year-old Bianka threw the ceremonial first pitch, sending the ball to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, while 6-year-old Capri took the microphone to deliver the classic announcement: “It’s time for Dodgers baseball!”

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 8, 2025: Natalia Bryant, 22, right, with her sister Capri,6, and mom Vanessa cheers as her sister Bianka, 8, throws out the first pitch before the game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Kobe Bryant bobble head night at Dodger Stadium on August 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) — Natalia, Capri, and Vanessa cheer as Bianka throws the first pitch

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Vanessa and the Bryant family, known to be big Dodgers fans, took time to pose for photos, including one memorable moment with Freeman.

Bianka Bryant with Freddie Freeman after throwing out the ceremonial pitch on

This celebration follows a tradition of the Dodgers honoring Kobe’s memory each season. In 2023, fans received a black snakeskin Dodgers jersey inspired by Kobe’s famous “Black Mamba” nickname, featuring his No. 8 on the front and No. 24 on the back. These jerseys returned in 2024, keeping alive the ongoing bond between the basketball legend and the baseball team.

The Bryant family’s presence at Dodger Stadium isn’t new to fans. Last year, Vanessa and Bianka threw the first pitch to open a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, a moment shared widely on social media. These public tributes come five years after the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, along with seven others.

Bianka and Vanessa Bryant walk off the field after the first pitch before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays, August 25, 2024

Los Angeles continues to cherish Kobe and Gigi’s memory throughout the city. There are at least 26 murals across L.A. County featuring Kobe, including one downtown showing him kissing Gianna, while she holds a basketball.

A mural honoring Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna in downtown Los Angeles, CA was recently vandalized

Meanwhile, Crypto.com Arena has three Kobe statues, including a 19-foot marble statue and the bronze “Girl Dad,” celebrating the father-daughter bond Kobe shared with Gianna.

Stature of Kobe and Gigi Bryant outside Crypto.com Arena

The Dodgers’ tribute game ended on a high note with a 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays, highlighted by a two-run homer from Mookie Betts. Reflecting on Kobe’s impact beyond basketball, the Dodgers recalled a memorable moment from 2017, when Bryant recorded a recruiting video calling Shohei Ohtani to join the team. “There’s no better place in the world to win than Los Angeles, and there’s no better team in baseball to win with than the Dodgers," he said at the time.