Entertainment Sports Baseball Natalia Bryant to Throw Ceremonial First Pitch at Dodger Stadium for ‘Lakers Night’ The Los Angeles Dodgers announced on Tuesday that the 20-year-old model, and daughter of the late Kobe Bryant, would take part in the event By Marisa Sullivan Marisa Sullivan Digital News Writer People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 30, 2023 10:31AM EDT Photo: Steven Simione/Getty Images Natalia Bryant will be honoring her dad Kobe Bryant in a beautiful way. The 20-year-old daughter of the late basketball legend will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Los Angeles Dodgers annual "Lakers Night" on Sept. 1, the team announced in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) Tuesday. Join us for a special @Lakers Night on 9/1 with Natalia Bryant throwing out the ceremonial first pitch! 💙💜💛" the Los Angeles Dodgers post read, alongside a photograph of Natalia that was headlined "Lakers Night." In 2020, Kobe tragically died in a helicopter crash at age 41 with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, Natalia's sister, along with seven others. Along with Natalia, Kobe is survived by two more daughters, Bianka, 6, and Capri, 4 — and his wife, Vanessa Bryant, 41. Natalia — who also posted the news of her participation in the Sept. 1 event on her own Instagram page Tuesday — recently paid tribute to her dad on what would have been his 45th birthday. The model posted a sweet throwback photo of the athlete in a Dodgers hat and jersey, holding her when she was just a baby. "Happy Birthday Daddy," she wrote in the caption of the Aug. 23 Instagram post, adding a heart. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Los Angeles Dodgers Wear Kobe Bryant Jerseys in Honor of His Birthday: 'A Man of Many Talents' Kobe — who played for the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his basketball career — was a huge Dodgers fan and according to a report from The Los Angeles Times, the baseball team will also be honoring the late athlete with a special Dodgers jersey on "Lakers Night." According to the outlet, the black jersey — which will be given to fans who purchased a special event ticket package for the night, per the Dodger's website — features the two numbers Kobe wore during his 20 year career with the Lakers, with the number 8 on the front and the number 24 on the back. All About Natalia Bryant, the 21-Year-Old Model and Daughter of Late Kobe Bryant The Sept. 1 event will not be the first time Natalia has publicly celebrated her father. At a ceremony honoring Kobe in March 2023, Natalia said, "Being his daughter is one of the greatest joys of my life, and I hope to continue to embody and cherish the many lessons he has taught me." When Natalia graduated from high school in 2021, she decorated her graduation cap with a quote from the superstar athlete that read, "Everything negative — pressure, challenges — is all an opportunity for me to rise." She now attends the University of Southern California. Last year, Natalia filmed a Vogue Beauty Secrets video, revealing that her dad's nickname for her was "Slim." Steven Simione/Getty Images Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I wanna show you my necklaces," Natalia announced for the style-focused piece. "This is a necklace that says 'Slim.' That was my nickname growing up. I was just so eency-teency. All my jerseys said slim. I didn't grow into the jerseys until I was, like, older. So my dad would always call me slim." "I actually wear this medallion with me all the time," Natalia added. "And on it, I don't know if you can see it, but it says, 'Dedication makes dreams come true.' And it's a quote from my dad. So it's something that I live by." Close