Kobe Bryant's daughter Bianka throws out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium in honor of her father

Kobe Bryant's daughter Bianka threw out her first pitch at Dodgers Stadium over the weekend in honor of the late NBA star.

The seven-year-old attended the Los Angeles Dodgers game against the Tampa Bay Rays on August 25, along with her two sisters – Capri, five, and Natalia, 21 – and their mother, Vanessa Bryant. During the event, which took place on the weekend of Kobe’s 46th birthday, Bianka had the opportunity to kick off the game herself.

In a video shared on Instagram by Vanessa, Bianka, wearing a white Dodgers jersey with Kobe's Lakers number 24 on it, stepped onto the field toward the mound. Bianka, who also had a pink bow in her hair, raised her arm and officially threw the ball, which was caught by Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts.

Vanessa also shared sweet photos from the game on Instagram, in which she and Capri also sported white Dodgers jerseys with the number 24 on the back. Meanwhile, Natalia sported a black Dodgers jersey, which also featured her dad's signature number.

Along with photos of the family on the field, Vanessa’s post included a snapshot of her hugging Betts while holding a $100,000 check from the Dodgers to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit in honor of Kobe and his late daughter Gianna (aka Gigi), who died in a helicopter crash in 2020.

“Thank you @dodgers for supporting our foundation @mambamambacitasports. LA Love,” Vanessa wrote in the caption.

During the Dodgers game on August 25, the MLB team handed out a special Kobe Bryant jersey to the first 40,000 fans who arrived at the stadium. Along with the Dodgers' yellow logo, the front of the black jersey featured the number 8, which was also one of Kobe's jersey numbers. Both sleeves of the jersey featured the late legend's initials — “KB” — inside a heart, while the back of the jersey featured his last name and the number 24.

The game also came a day after Kobe Bryant Day, which honors the life and legacy of the late basketball player. The occasion is celebrated on August 24 in Los Angeles and Orange County.

Bianka's first pitch at the stadium on Sunday is a family moment that comes full circle. In September 2023, Natalia threw out her first pitch at Dodger Stadium, in honor of her father. When she started the Dodgers' game against the Atlanta Braves at the time, she was wearing a white jersey with the number 24 on the back, and her ball was also caught by Betts.

Earlier this month, the Lakers and Bryant family also unveiled a special statue, as a tribute to Kobe and Gianna. The bronze figure, which stands outside of Crypto.com Arena, shows the late athlete hugging and kissing Gianna on the forehead, while she has a big smile on her face. According to Vanessa, the statue not only represents the father and daughter’s basketball careers, but also celebrates Kobe’s close relationship with his four daughters.

“We fused two iconic Kobe and Gigi moments on the court. Gianna has her beautiful smile on her face and Kobe is kissing the top of her head while wearing the Philadelphia Eagles hat that Gigi gave him for Christmas,” Vanessa told close friends and family during the statue’s unveiling earlier this month, the LA Lakers reported. “He’s also wearing a WNBA hoodie that he wore on the court during the game with Gigi. Kobe was the first NBA player to wear that orange hoodie in a big game and that was to show his support for Gigi’s dreams and for women in all sports. That was a moment he shared with Gigi that will always be a powerful representation of the movement toward equality that was always so important to our family.”

During her remarks, Vanessa went on to celebrate Gianna, who would have turned 18 this year, and the impact she has continued to have on women's sports.

“We were faced with the harsh reality that no matter how great Gianna was or could be, no matter how great her dad was in teaching her how to play, or even if she played exactly like Kobe, she wouldn’t have had the same benefits and opportunities that her dad and young men have today because she’s a girl,” she added. “That’s when the challenge of changing the perception of women’s sports in our home began. Gianna would be entering her freshman year of college this year. We would watch her shine on the court. Now her spirit is lighting a path she’s created for girls and for women in sports.”