Bryant's wife posts touching tribute on 19th wedding anniversary

New York, April 19 (IANS) Late basketball legend Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa posted a tribute to him on the occasion of the couple's 19th wedding anniversary.Vanessa posted an image of the couple and in the caption wrote: "My king, my heart, my best friend. Happy 19th wedding anniversary baby. I miss you so much. I wish you were here to hold me in your arms. I love you."Bryant, 41, along with the couple's daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others were killed in the crash on a steep, hilly area in Calabasas, California in the morning of January 6. All the nine people on board were travelling for Gianna's basketball game which was to begin in the afternoon that day.In the months since, tributes have flown from multiple quarters around the world. On February 16, the NBA All-Star Game MVP Award was permanently named after Bryant, an 18-time All-Star who won a record-tying four All-Star Game MVP awards.Byant made his NBA All-Star Game debut in 1998 at age 19 -- the youngest player to ever play in an All-Star Game. That appearance marked the first of his 18 All-Star selections, second most in NBA history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19).Bryant holds the NBA record for consecutive All-Star selections as he was honoured 18 straight times from 1998-2016.
--IANS rkm/rt