Apparently Kobe Bryant’s post LA Laker assignment will be Diaper Duty. Kobe posted the picture above on Instagram Tuesday night to announce that he and wife Vanessa are expecting their third child. As his comment says, it will be another girl to join big sisters Natalia, 13, and Giana, 10. Kobe hung up his Laker jersey in April after a famed twenty-year career with the franchise. “Mamba” references Kobe’s speech after his last game in which he declared, “Mamba Out”.
Kobe Bryant is going to be a father of three!
The retired NBA star announced the news on Instagram Tuesday along with a photo of a “Baby Mamba” onesie, a glittery red bow and a pair of adorable little Nike Kobe sneakers.
In April, the former Lakers star ended his iconic 20-year basketball career, scoring 60 points in his final game. “Mamba out!” Bryant said during his speech after playing at Staples Center for the very last time.
The father-to-be has been heavily involved in his daughters’ sports activities. Big sister 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,” Bryant 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,” the proud dad continued. “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.”
Kobe and Vanessa have been together for fifteen years, not all of which have exactly been wedded bliss. Kobe likes the ladies and Vanessa likes the huge Forgive Me gifts she gets when he gets caught on film. Since their last round of he-cheats-she-almost-leaves-him, they have remained relatively quiet. Kobe even went so far as to play the faith card to try and gloss over his 2003 sexual assault scandal. It wouldn’t be nice for me to to suggest anything other than this was always part of their plan, that they would have another baby after he retires. So I won’t, because it’s a baby and babies should be met with joy.
I wish Vanessa a lot of luck since she claims she doesn’t use a nanny to help with the kids and we know how she treats the rest of the staff. Vanessa is plenty young but age has nothing to do with routine. When you have fallen into a nice little pattern with your family, any change in schedule knocks you off kilter. She’s had a decade of routine that will be blown to hell once she’s juggling a newborn and her pre-teen and teen’s schedules. Not to mention she is used to her husband traveling and now that he’s retired, he’ll be underfoot all the time. As the old adage says, they don’t make a house big enough for two retired folks. Thank God she has three houses to escape to. And no, I was not able to suggest Kobe will keep it at home with a straight face.
Photo credit: Instagram and Fame/Flynet Photos
