Together forever. Following the death of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, his sister Sharia Washington got a tattoo in their honor. She took to Instagram on Wednesday, February 26, to show off her new mamba-inspired ink.

On her left shoulder, the sister of the NBA legend placed the numbers two and 24 looped into an infinity sign. The figure eight was created by a black mamba snake, one of Kobe’s many nicknames for his strength and agility. “Thank you,” she captioned the image, thanking her tattoo artist. She added a praying hand and snake emoji as well.

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Courtesy of Sharia Washington

Kobe and Gianna tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on January 26. All nine passengers aboard the aircraft passed away. Since the horrific accident, family and friends have been honoring the father-daughter duo and sending their regards to Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant.

One day after the incident, Sharia shared a photo with her siblings, Kobe and sister Shaya. In the photo, Kobe is embracing his sisters with both arms. Sharia chose not to caption the image. Just a few days later, she was ready to share some words in her brother’s honor.

“On behalf of our family, we join Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka and Capri in grieving the loss of Kobe and Gianna in such a tragic accident,” she captioned a slide show of family photos on January 31. “We are devastated by the loss of our brother, son, our niece and granddaughter, and our hearts go out to all the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday. Our lives are forever changed.”

On Monday, February 24, Kobe and Gianna were honored at a “Celebration of Life” memorial at the Staples Center. Those close to the two gave moving speeches, including Michael Jordan. Kobe’s eldest daughter, Natalia Bryant, was “overcome with emotion” during his speech, an eyewitness told In Touch. “Vanessa put her arm around Natalia and was gently stroking her arm.”

Michael said when Kobe died, “a piece of me died.” He added, “In the game of basketball, in life, as a parent, Kobe left nothing in the tank. He left it all on the floor.” Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bryant family during this difficult time.

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