Vanessa Bryant honors 'eternal love' Kobe Bryant on his 43rd birthday

Vanessa Bryant is remembering Kobe Bryant on what would have been his 43rd birthday.

On Monday, Vanessa shared a throwback photo of her and Kobe kissing in front of one of his (many) championship trophies. "Happy Birthday Papi," she wrote, calling the Lakers legend her eternal love. "Te amo por siempre," she added, which translates to "I love you forever."

Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among the nine killed in a helicopter crash in Jan. 2020. Vanessa has kept their memories alive through the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation.

It's been an emotional few days for Vanessa as she dropped of Natalia, the oldest of four girls she and Kobe shared, at college.

"Today was rough," she captioned a family photo. "(This was before the tears came down)..."

Natalia isn't too far away as she is attending the University of Southern California. The Bryant family already reunited at Disneyland.

Vanessa and Kobe are also parents to Bianka, 4, and Capri, 2.