Vanessa Bryant said her late daughter Gianna was her “sunshine” and her husband Kobe was her “everything” in a tearful tribute to her loved ones at their Monday memorial. “God knew they couldn’t be on this earth without each other,” she said through tears. “He had to bring them home so they could be together.” She said her daughter, Gigi, was “very competitive like her daddy” but had a “sweet grace about her” that was infectious to those around her. She also said she would have “likely become the best player in the WNBA,” following in her father’s footsteps. “She was our shepherd, she kept our family together,” she said. “She was so full of life and had so much to offer this world. I cannot imagine life without her... I miss you, all of you, everyday. I love you.”

When talking about her “soulmate,” Bryant said she and Kobe were looking forward to growing old together and becoming the “fun grandparents.” “I couldn’t see him as a celebrity, nor just an incredible basketball player,” she said. “He was mine. He was my everything.” She told him to take care of Gianna while they are both up in heaven. “We’re still the best team,” she said. “May you both rest in peace and have fun in heaven until we meet again one day.”