Natalia Bryant paid tribute to her late father, Kobe Bryant, at her recent high school graduation ceremony.
The 18-year-old’s graduation cap included a quote from the Los Angeles Lakers legend that read: “Everything negative ― pressures, challenges ― is all an opportunity for me to rise.”
Kobe Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, shared a photo of the graduation cap as part of a series of Instagram posts celebrating her daughter on Friday. The hat was also decorated with a logo for the University of Southern California, where Natalia Bryant will be attending college.
Vanessa Bryant wrote in one post that the new graduate made her entire family proud.
Kobe Bryant and the couple’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in a helicopter crash last year. The couple’s two other children are Bianka, 4, and Capri, who turns 2 later this month.
“Daddy, Mommy, Gigi, Bianka and Capri are so proud of you,” Vanessa Bryant captioned the post.
“Congratulations Natalia! We will ALL be with you every step of the way,” Vanessa Bryant wrote in another post showing her daughter walk across the stage.
Last month, Natalia, Bianka and Capri joined their mother at a ceremony in Connecticut, where Kobe Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Vanessa Bryant accepted the honor on her husband’s behalf.
“Dear Kobe, thank you for being the best husband and father you can possibly be. Thank you for growing and learning from your own mistakes. Thank you for always trying to be better,” she said during her speech onstage. “Thank you for never giving up on us. Thank you for all of your hard work. Thank you for our family, thank you for our daughters Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri. Thank you for working so tirelessly to provide for us and for giving us the most amazing life together.”