On 26th January, the NBA world mourned for the Late Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on the 5th year anniversary of their tragic passing. Plenty of fans and players across the country came together to remember the man who once ruled the basketball court. In the same vein, DeMar DeRozan’s wife, Kiara Morrison joined the community to reflect on the lost soul with a heartwarming message, taking the fans to the good old days.

It wasn’t until the last few years of Kobe’s life that fans got to witness the fatherhood side of the great man. He was a loving father. There are countless instances when the legend put his art of fathering on display. Not many can forget the iconic visuals of Kobe and his daughter taking the courtside seats and waving at the camera. It was as if he had swiftly transformed into a great dad from a legendary baller.

Luckily, Kobe Bryant’s daughter was in love with basketball and he began coaching her right after his retirement. Speaking of the joy of coaching Gianna in an old podcast, he said, “It’s a great feeling but it would have been the same if it was anything else, as long as they got the passion for it. That’s the hardest thing, is trying to find something that your kids are passionate about. Gianna loves basketball.” 

Bryant further added how he found his kids as a “blank canvas” two years before he taught them his footwork, spin moves, and whatnot. Speaking of his daughter, he said, “It’s fun to watch them figure it out. I watch my daughter Gianna, and she’s aggressive as hell. I didn’t teach her that, she’s just naturally aggressive.” 

The resurfaced video of this podcast instantly moved Kiara Morrison, as she reshared on her IG story and wrote, “Feel this in my core. And I can’t wait to continue this journey with big girl! Then knowing I have 3 more who may also get the itch is exciting.” Not to forget that Kiara’s eldest daughter, Diar, is a huge basketball fanatic. Let’s find out more about them!

DeMar DeRozan and his ‘screaming’ daughter

There are a lot of similarities in Kobe Bryant and DeMar DeRozan. When the Lakers‘ legend started out, he was on the forefront of the modern baseball. Taking inspiration from Michael Jordan, Mamba gave it a little spin and brought out his style. He is known for his jumpers and fadeaway.

On the other hand, DeMar DeRozan is last of the players who still play the then-modern basketball. Now, the games has moved toward long range shooting but DeRozan is still adamant on shooting those middies and he has been consistently knocking them down. Apart from that, DeRozan also has a daughter, who loves basketball just like Gianna. Not only that, he has four daughters in total. Not sure if all of them will turn their attention toward basketball just like their mother wished for.

Anyway, I have a reason for why I say Diar loves basketball. There’s a backstory. During the Raptors vs Bulls play-in game in 2024 playoffs, whenever, the Raptors approached the FT line, we heard a loud scream and it affected their rhythm and the percentage dropped below 50%.

It was none other than Diar, who pleaded him to visit the game. Speaking of his daughter’s efforts, DeRozan said, “Looked back like dang, that’s my daughter screaming… She was just adamant about coming to support. I said, ‘All right, you can miss one day of school and come to a game.’ I’m glad I did. I owe her some money for sure.” Truly, the love of the game that made her scream her lungs out. What do you make of it? Will Diar and her sisters turn their heads towards basketball? Let us know in the comments.