Kobe Bryant will soon be a father of three!
The NBA star, who recently retired after a stellar 20-year career, announced the happy news on Instagram by posting an adorable “Baby Mamba” onesie with a shiny red bow and a pair of super cute Nike Kobe sneakers. “Beyond blessed and excited to share that we are expecting our third baby girl!!! #Blessed #BabyMamba #Thankful,” the 37-year-old dad captioned the photo.
His wife Vanessa shared the exciting news on her own Instagram with the same adorable onesie. The latest addition to their growing brood will be welcomed by big sisters Natalia, 13, and Gianna, 10.
It was back in April when the Lakers star announced that his illustrious basketball career had come to an end. He scored an epic 60 points during his final game and in the interview that followed, he capped it off by saying “Mamba out!”
Next page: Take a look back at Kobe’s most memorable dad moments
The soon-to-be dad of three has always been supportive of his daughter’s love of sports.
His eldest, Natalia, plays soccer while Gianna has inherited her dad’s basketball skills. “We were shooting not too long ago and she was shooting one-dribble pullups,” the proud dad told ESPN. “I asked her where does she get that from? She said, ‘From watching you.’ I didn’t know she was paying attention that much. I watch her play and she has the same mannerisms. She’ll sit there and bite her jersey and all this other stuff. That’s a beautiful thing.”
Upon his retirement, his wife of 15 years Vanessa took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message to all of her husband’s supporters, who have also stood by their family through the toughest of times.
In the post, e expressed how thrilled she is to have him “home more often,” and how she is filled with nothing but gratitude for how their family “managed to persevere against the odds” despite the “ups and downs.”
:I really want to thank my daughters, Natalia and Gianna, for being patient and understanding how much hard work, sacrifice and dedication it takes to see their dad accomplish so many great things,” she wrote. “Kobe has an incredible work ethic and amazing drive to be the best at whatever he sets his mind to and with that comes many sacrifices.”
“The road hasn’t always been easy,” she wrote. “We’ve had our ups and downs, but I’m so thankful we managed to persevere against the odds. We couldn’t have done it without our faith and God’s grace. We must always remember that when life gets tough, there is always someone facing much more difficult times in their lives. And, in those hard times, we can be each other’s strength.”
READ: 8 Times Kobe Bryant was the MVP of parenting
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