Kobe Bryant's Daughter Gianna Was Ready to Carry on His Basketball Legacy in the WNBA

Kobe Bryant was confident that his legacy as one of the greatest basketball players of all time was in good hands with 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who had aspirations of her own.

Tragically, neither Kobe nor his daughter would live to see her fulfill those ambitions as they both died in a helicopter crash on Sunday. Kobe was 41 years old, a proud father of four beautiful daughters, and quick to shrug off fans who insisted he needed to keep trying until he had a son to carry on his tradition of basketball greatness.

Kobe talked about it during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in 2018, and he definitely knew what he was talking about. Way more than just a fawning father, the 18-time All-Star also served as coach to Gianna's team.

When Kimmel asked if Gianna had any ambitions to play in the WNBA, Kobe said, "She does for sure."

He went on to say that Gianna was the first person to say that he didn't need a son to carry the torch of his impact to the sport.

"The best thing that happens is when we go out, and fans come up to me, she'll be standing next to me and they'll be like, 'You gotta have a boy. You and [Vanessa] gotta have a boy. Gotta have someone carry on the tradition,'" Kobe told Kimmel. "She's like, 'Oy, I got this! You don't need no boy for that, I got this.'"

And Kobe said his response is always, "That's right. Yes you do." You could see him beaming and smiling with pride as he talked about his young daughter.

In a clip resurfaced after their shocking deaths, Kobe can be seen talking about one high-stakes moment during a tournament game while he was coaching Gianna and it felt like she had the pressure of the world on her shoulders.

A proud papa, Kobe is just beaming with pride as he recalls how his daughter felt the pressure of everyone watching Kobe Bryant's daughter facing a game-winning free-throw moment and just chilled, shook it off and got the job done.

Both Kobe and Gianna had every bit of confidence that his legacy would carry on in her calm and capable hands. The two were almost a staple at the Staples Center in recent years taking in basketball games together. They will be missed by friends, family, fans and her future fans alike.