A Fourth Baby Girl on the Way! Everything Kobe Bryant Has Said About Being a Dad to Daughters

Kobe Bryant and wife Vanessa announced Tuesday on social media that they will be welcoming their fourth daughter together later this year

By

Jen Juneau

Published on January 4, 2019 04:15 PM

Kobe Bryant is adding another little princess to his family — and he couldn’t be happier.

The former Los Angeles Lakers player, 40, and wife Vanessa announced Tuesday on social media that they will be welcoming their fourth child together later this year.

Already parents to three daughters — Bianka Bella, 2, Gianna Maria-Onore, 12, and Natalia Diamante, 15 — the Bryants are adding another baby girl to their family.

While opening up about his “little princesses” in April 2017 to Extra, Bryant said his wife was hoping for a son to join their daughters one day — in fact, “I think Vanessa wants a boy more than I do,” he revealed.

“I hear boys are just walking tornadoes. We’ll see,” added the basketball legend.

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World Premiere of Disney's 'A Wrinkle In Time' — Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

The following July, Bryant admitted to Extra, “Guys keep teasing me” about being a father of only girls.

“My friends say, ‘It takes a real man to make a boy,’ ” said the athlete. “I’m like, ‘Dude, it takes a king to make a princess … get in line.’ ”

“It’s pretty cool for me ’cause it’s Daddy’s little princesses,” he quipped.

The former NBA player told PEOPLE in August that he was in part inspired by his daughters Gianna, who plays basketball, and Natalie, who plays volleyball, to create a new, scripted podcast series called “The Punies” that aims to help children who may feel anxious or discouraged while participating in new activities.

But it’s also thanks to his daughters that Bryant hasn’t found himself too far from a basketball court in retirement — albeit, on the sideline as their coach. It’s a role he’s having a lot of fun with, he told PEOPLE, but one he also values for allowing him to teach his girls in a new environment.

“A valuable lesson that I can teach them is what it means to pursue excellence and the commitment level that comes with that,” he said of being a coach.

“At the same time, making things fun and challenging, and learning new things. But they’re having a blast. They’ve gotten extremely, extremely good over the course of the last year, and are continuing to work and get better, man. It’s been fun.”