Bryant remembered on anniversary of NBA sendoff game

Four years back from this day, the late Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant had his sendoff game at the Staples Center, where he scored 60 points and sealed the team's victory.

The game, together with his legacy, shined through to this day even though his life was taken away in a tragic helicopter crash on January 26, together with his daughter Gianna and seven others.

On Monday, Bryant's wife Vanessa wrote about her beloved husband in an Instagram post remembering the late NBA legend.

"[He] Gave it his all. All he wanted was to spend time with our girls and me to make up for lost time. He wanted to be there for every single milestone and special moment in our girls lives."

Vanessa Bryant remembers her late husband, NBA superstar Kobe Bryant on the four-year anniversary of his farewell game on Instagram.

The post included a video featuring highlights from the Lakers' 101-96 victory over the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016.

It was Bryant's final game in a 20-year NBA career that included five championships.

After Kobe said "Mamba out" and put down the microphone on the court, he ran towards his family at courtside, hugging Vanessa and kissing daughters Natalia and Gianna.

The couple's third daughter, Bianka was born in December of 2016 and their fourth, Capri, was born last June.

"He only got to enjoy 3 years and 9 months of retirement," Vanessa Bryant wrote. "We had 2 more daughters, he won an Oscar, he opened Granity studios, he became a 5x best selling author and coached Gianna's basketball team in that time. She worked hard and gave her all 7 days a week just like her daddy... This is just senseless."

The Los Angeles Lakers honor Kobe Bryant and daughter Gigi by covering the courtside seats they occupied with flowers, Gigi's #2 Mamba jersey and Kobe's #24 jersey before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, January 31, 2020. /VCG

The anniversary of Bryant's NBA finale has been remembered every year among his fans, especially in China where he has a huge fan base. It only gets more emotional this year because of the January tragedy.

On China's Twitter-like social media platform Weibo, fans posted sick leave notes they turned in at work to take half of the day off to watch Bryant's farewell game.

"I was giving a lecture to students that morning (Beijing Time) and couldn't make it to watch it on TV. You will always live the way as you are in my memories. I will love you forever," a fan said on Weibo.

(With input from agencies)