"Day 1": Vanessa Bryant reminisces first meeting with Kobe Bryant on 24th anniversary

Kobe Bryant was married to Vanessa Bryant from 2001 until his untimely death in 2020. The couple first met in Nov. 1999, and Vanessa celebrated their first meeting 24 years ago with a throwback photo on Instagram. They got engaged six months after meeting each other and were married on Apr. 18, 2001.

In an Instagram post, Vannesa shared a photo of herself with Bryant on the day they met. The two looked great together, and it might have been love at first sight. Based on her captions, Bryany and Vanessa became a couple on Nov. 27, 1999.

"24 years ago…. Day 1. #1999 👑❤️ 11/27/99," Vanessa wrote.

After six months of dating, Bryant proposed to Vanessa Bryant, and the couple became engaged. Bryant's parents were against the relationship but didn't stop them from getting married on Apr. 18, 2001 in a private wedding ceremony in Dana Point, California.

The couple had four daughters together – Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri. Gianna (Gigi) was with Bryant when they perished with seven others in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.

Bryant and Vanessa's marriage endured a lot of troubles throughout the 2000s. The LA Lakers legend's trial for sexual assault in 2003 put a strain on their marriage, but she supported him throughout the ordeal.

Vanessa filed for divorce in 2011, and their marriage appeared to be over. The couple, though, reconciled 13 months later, and she had Bianka in 2016. She gave birth to Capri in June 2019, before Bryant expired seven months later.

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Kobe Bryant's secret to his marriage to Vanessa

A few days before his death, Kobe Bryant shared the secret to his marriage to Vanessa Bryant, on the "All The Smoke" podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.

Kobe Bryant explained that it was all about commitment and the drive to succeed like an old couple. It was about his relationship, but Bryant's legendary competitiveness still showed up.

"We've seen couples that have been, like, 85 years old and you look and you're like, 'Oh man, such an old, sweet couple,'" Kobe said.

"And I'd go talk to them because I wanna know. ... One time a guy goes, 'Yeah, it's great, but she just kicked me out of the bed last night. I was sleeping on the couch last two nights.'"

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