{"id":21263,"date":"2025-06-02T20:34:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T00:34:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=21263"},"modified":"2025-06-02T20:34:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T00:34:39","slug":"kobe-bryants-daughter-natalia-pays-touching-tribute-to-dad-on-graduation-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/06\/kobe-bryants-daughter-natalia-pays-touching-tribute-to-dad-on-graduation-day.html","title":{"rendered":"Kobe Bryant\u2019s Daughter Natalia Pays Touching Tribute to Dad on Graduation Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
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@vanessabryant \/ Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Natalia Bryant, the oldest daughter of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, recently graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California\u2014and she did so with touching tributes to her father woven into every detail of the day.<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old USC graduate earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts, Film and Television Production from the university\u2019s School of Cinematic Arts. As she walked across the stage at the Shrine Auditorium on May 16, cheers rang out from the audience, including from her mother, Vanessa Bryant, who lovingly called out, \u201cGo Nani!\u201d and \u201cLet\u2019s go, Nani!\u201d<\/p>\n

But it was the heartfelt symbolism in Natalia\u2019s graduation attire that moved many, particularly those who have followed the family\u2019s journey since the tragic loss of Kobe and his daughter Gianna in 2020.<\/p>\n

On her USC sash, Natalia had the words \u201cThank You Mom & Dad\u201d embroidered in gold lettering\u2014a quiet yet powerful tribute to both parents. She also added her father\u2019s iconic Nike \u201csheath\u201d logo to the top left side of the sash. The symbol, inspired by a samurai sword, was described by Kobe in a 2014 Esquire<\/em> interview: \u201cThe sword is the raw talent and the sheath is the package it\u2019s kept in\u2014everything you go through, your calluses and your baggage, what you learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vanessa Bryant shared a video montage of the day on Instagram, beginning with a sweet moment of her kissing Natalia on the cheek and saying, \u201cI\u2019m so proud of you. I love you so much.\u201d In her caption, Vanessa simply wrote \u201cLegacy \u2764\ufe0f,\u201d adding thanks to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who handed Natalia her diploma on stage. \u201cThank you @jeaniebuss for making this milestone even more special,\u201d she wrote, adding the hashtags #LakersFamily and #CumLaude.<\/p>\n

Natalia responded with red heart emojis and her own thank-you: \u201cThank you @jeaniebuss \u2764\ufe0f.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ceremony was also a proud moment for many in the Bryant family\u2019s circle. USC alum and WNBA legend Lisa Leslie commented, \u201cWow! ?? Congratulations @nataliabryant \u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f Beauty and Brains!!! What an awesome combination! FIGHTON\u270c?.\u201d Others like Michael B. Jordan, Ciara, and Tina Knowles offered congratulatory messages. \u201cWorld is yours!!\u201d Jordan wrote. Ciara added, \u201cSo incredibly proud of you!!\u201d<\/p>\n

Natalia\u2019s graduation marks more than academic achievement\u2014it\u2019s a continuation of how she honors her father\u2019s legacy. At the 2023 ceremony unveiling Kobe\u2019s handprints at the TCL Chinese Theatre, Natalia shared, \u201cHe is the reason I am pursuing film in college. And he is the reason film has inspired me to create memories like ours for other people\u2014to even bring more fathers and daughters together like us.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued, \u201cOne may wonder why I developed such a fondness for movies like Star Wars<\/em>, Harry Potter<\/em>, the complete Marvel universe and Goonies<\/em>, amongst many others. Well, the reason behind it is that I watched all of these movies with my dad. And each of those memories I will never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Natalia steps into her future, her journey is marked by strength, love, and legacy\u2014a powerful example of faith, family, and perseverance through loss. In her own understated way, she captioned her graduation photo: \u201c25 \u2764\ufe0f?.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, this milestone was not just a celebration of what she\u2019s achieved\u2014it was a moving tribute to who helped shape her, and who she carries in her heart every step of the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Natalia Bryant, the oldest daughter of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, recently graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California\u2014and she did so with touching tributes to her father woven into every detail of the day. The 22-year-old USC graduate earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts, Film and Television Production from…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":21266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiring-messages"],"yoast_head":"\nKobe Bryant\u2019s Daughter Natalia Pays Touching Tribute to Dad on Graduation Day<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Natalia Bryant honors late father Kobe with emotional tributes on USC graduation day, including custom sash and Lakers family support.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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