The daughter of the late Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant, Bianka Bryant, who is 8 years old, was the center of attention Friday night at Dodger Stadium with the ceremonial opening pitch to begin the Los Angeles Dodgers’ commemorative game honoring her father.
Bianka displayed amazing composure and precision, performing a fluid windup before throwing a one-hopper into the glove of 2024 World Series MVP Freddie Freeman to the delight of the audience. Bianka, along with her mother Vanessa Bryant and sisters Natalia (22) and Capri (6), assisted the family in celebrating Kobe Bryant Night, a rising annual custom for the Dodgers.
This marked Bianka’s second straight year of throwing the ceremonial first pitch at the occasion. She made a memorable debut on the mound the previous year, and this year’s performance demonstrated that she is becoming more at ease in the position.
Attendees also received a unique Kobe Bryant bobblehead of the NBA star sporting his No. 8 Lakers jersey while holding a baseball bat, a reference to Kobe’s less well-known baseball abilities and ambidextrous skills, such as his preference for batting left-handed even though he was right-handed.
It has been more than five years since Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, age 13, passed away in a helicopter accident on January 26, 2020, along with seven others. Since then, the Dodgers have honored Kobe’s influence on the city and its sporting scene.
On the field, Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw defeated Max Scherzer in a matchup between two potential Hall of Famers, guiding Los Angeles to a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
