The family of the late LA Lakers icon Kobe Bryant continues to hold close ties with the franchise and the city, and on Friday his wife Vanessa Bryant offered another example, sharing a snapshot from a recent outing with a familiar front-office figure.On Instagram, Vanessa posted a photo alongside Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka in Los Angeles, taken in the back of a truck decorated with the Mamba logo and a special plate. In the caption, she referred to Pelinka as “Big Bro Rob.”In the photo, Pelinka held up his fingers to form a two and a four, a tribute to Kobe Bryant’s iconic No. 24 jersey. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostPelinka had been Kobe’s agent for two decades and was among his dearest friends, also serving as godfather to Bryant’s daughter, Gigi. Before stepping into the Lakers’ front office in 2017, Pelinka built Landmark Sports Agency and represented several high-profile NBA stars.Since Kobe Bryant's passing in January 2020, Pelinka has maintained a strong bond with the family and is frequently seen spending time with Vanessa and her loved ones.Rob Pelinka reflects on Kobe Bryant’s deathIn the days following the devastating helicopter crash in 2020 that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, Rob Pelinka described the loss as “an amputation of part of my soul.”“Kobe was a force of nature, deep and obsessed with excellence,” Pelinka said in a statement. “He was wise, determined, passionate. A visionary beyond measure. A dedicated and loving husband, and a ‘girl-dad’ like no other.”After the Lakers captured the 2020 NBA championship inside the Orlando bubble, Pelinka shared that he often felt Bryant’s voice pushing him to see the team through."There would be times in the middle of the night, I would hear his voice: 'Stay the course. Finish the task,'” he said (per ESPN). “To be able to have a friend who changed my life, and helped me understand what greatness was about and sacrifice was about, there's not many greater gifts.”"Kobe and Gianna's legacy will last forever. It will impact lives around the world in positive ways, and this championship and this Lakers championship in 2020 is partly to build on that legacy and honor them, and for us to be able to do that, the moment couldn't be any more special to do that for them."In April, the Lakers handed Pelinka a contract extension while also promoting him to president of basketball operations on top of his GM duties. He orchestrated two franchise-shifting trades in recent years: acquiring Anthony Davis, and later moving him in a blockbuster deal for Luka Doncic.