Sabrina Ionescu Spends Time With Kobe Bryant's Family Watching A Movie As She Rehabilitates Ankle Injury
New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu recently spent time with Kobe Bryant's family cuddled up on a couch watching a movie.
Ionescu, who the Liberty selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA draft in April, suffered a Grade 3 left ankle sprain in her third game in the league on July 31.
As she recovers from that injury, she held three-year-old Bianka, as 17-year-old Natalia and Bryant's wife, Vanessa, relaxed next to her on the couch.
Ionescu met Kobe in 2019 when he and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna attended a women's basketball game between Oregon and USC at Galen Center.
After the game, Kobe spoke to the Ducks in their locker room.
Ionescu and Kobe struck up a friendship, and she worked out with Gianna a few times that summer. Gianna dreamt of playing in the WNBA.
They stayed in touch during the 2019-2020 season, as Ionescu finished her career with the Ducks as the NCAA all-time leader in career triple-doubles and the only NCAA Division 1 basketball player to have 2,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds.
After Kobe and Gianna died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, Ionescu spoke at their public memorial at Staples Center on Feb. 24.
"He didn’t just show up in my life and leave," Ionescu said. "He stayed. We kept in touch, always texting, calls, game visits. I’d drop a triple-double and have a text from him, 'Another double triple-double I see you,' with a flex emoji. Another game, another text. 'Yo, Beast Mode,' or 'Easy money.'"
Kobe's support deeply impact her.
And Ionescu has remained close with his family.
In June, she made a dance video with Natalia to the song “Party Girl” by StaySolidRocky.
As they were doing their choreographed moves, Bianka popped up in front of the camera and started dancing, sending her older sister and Ionescu into a fit of hysterical laughter.
Vanessa posted a video of the incident on Instagram and wrote, “Another B.B. special," adding that, "Bianka was humming the song the whole time."
