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#GirlDad Goes Viral After ESPN Anchor Pays Tribute to Kobe Bryant

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The tragic loss of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna have inspired so many tributes through kind words and heartfelt messages.

ESPN anchor Elle Duncan shared her memory of Bryant while anchoring "SportsCenter" on Monday night. She revealed that the one and only time she met Bryant was backstage at an event in New York.

At the time of the encounter, Duncan was eight months pregnant with a girl. Bryant noticed her belly and the two began to discuss parenthood.

When Duncan explained that she was expecting a girl, Bryant high-fived her and said, "Girls are the best." 

Duncan asked him for advice on raising girls, considering that Bryant was the father of three at the time. 

"Just be grateful that you've been given that gift because girls are amazing," he said. She then asked if he wanted to have more children and without hesitating, Bryant replied, "I would have five more girls if I could, I'm a girl dad." 

Duncan explained that Bryant continued to talk about his girls and how his basketball-playing daughter Gianna was "a monster, a beast. She is better than I was at her age, she's got it." 

Moved to tears, Duncan admitted that she has found solace in knowing that Bryant died doing what he loved the most.

"When I reflect on this tragedy and the half an hour that I spent with Kobe Bryant two years ago, I suppose the only small source of comfort for me is knowing he died doing what he loved the most. Being a dad. Being a 'girl dad.'"

The ESPN clip was shared on social media, prompting many other dads to hashtag the term "girldad", celebrating the joy of being a father to girls.

The widespread support of the hashtag encouraged Duncan to tweet, "I'm so moved by the outpouring of support behind my story about Kobe. And I love that #girldad is trending."

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About The Author

Andrea Morris
Andrea
Morris

Andrea Morris is a Features Producer for The 700 Club. She came to CBN in 2019 where she worked as a web producer in the news department for three years. Her passion was always to tell human interest stories that would touch the hearts of readers while connecting them with God. She transitioned into her new role with The 700 Club in August 2022.