ESPN reporter Elle Duncan had us all in tears with her moving tribute to Kobe Bryant, who died alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others in a tragic helicopter crash on Sunday (Jan. 26).
Duncan recalled the one time she interacted with with late basketball star, and how much he loved having daughters. “His third daughter, Bianca, was about a year and a half old at the time, so I asked if he wanted more children,” Duncan explained. “And he said that his wife, Vanessa, really wanted to try again for a boy, but was sort of jokingly concerned that it would be another girl.”
“I was like, ‘Four girls, are you joking? What would you think? How would you feel?’ And, without hestitation, he said, ‘I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad,'” she continued. “When it came to sports, he said that his oldest daughter was an accomplished volleyball player, and that the youngest was a toddler so TBD. But that middle one, he said, ‘That middle one was a monster, she’s a beast. She’s better than I was at her age, she’s got it.’ That middle one of course was Gigi.”
“When I reflect on this tragedy, and that half an hour I spent with Kobe Bryant two years ago, I suppose the only small source of comfort for me, is knowing that he died doing what he loved the most. Being a dad, being a girl dad,” she concluded.
“I would have 5 more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad.”@elleduncanESPN‘s story about how much Kobe loved his daughters is something special. pic.twitter.com/1KJx17QRjY
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 28, 2020
Since Duncan’s tribute went viral on the Internet, a number of proud fathers have shared photos of their daughters, celebrating the gift of being a “girl dad.”
Bow Wow uploaded a photo posing with his eight-year-old daughter Shai Moss, who is dressed in an orange astronaut suit. The caption was the simple #girldad hashtag, along with a red heart emoji.
Timbaland followed suit, posting a series of sweet photos with his daughter, Reign.
#girldad ?? pic.twitter.com/YHyPGgE6Sb
— Bow Wow (@smoss) January 28, 2020
My baby Reign ♥?♥?♥? #girldad pic.twitter.com/Mj7HDmMRkJ
— Timbaland (@Timbaland) January 28, 2020
Chrissy Teigen reposted Duncan’s video, with a touching story about her husband, John Legend. “The last time I remember John crying, aside from this week, was when Luna wrapped her little finger around his at the hospital when she was born,” the model wrote. “There really is something magical about girls and their dads. Thank you, @elleduncanESPN.”
See below.
The last time I remember John crying, aside from this week, was when Luna wrapped her little finger around his at the hospital when she was born. There really is something magical about girls and their dads. Thank you, @elleduncanESPN https://t.co/P4VL5Z8dC4 pic.twitter.com/hgWWB0DHcB
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 28, 2020