“My girls and I want to thank all the millions who have shown their support and love during this terrible time. Thank you for all your prayers. We really need them. We are absolutely devastated by the sudden loss of my dear husband, Kobe - the amazing father of our children - and my beautiful, sweet Gianna - a loving, caring and wonderful daughter and fantastic sister to Natalia, Bianka and Capri, writes Vanessa Bryant, and continues:

“I do not know what our lives will look like today and it is impossible to imagine a life without them. But we wake up every day trying to fight, because Kobe and our little girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light up the road ahead. "

Vanessa and Kobe Bryant met when they were 17 and 20 years old, respectively. They got married in 2001 and had four daughters.

Kobe and Gianna Bryant died at just 41 and 13 years old when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed in California on Sunday morning. Another seven people on board were killed.

Establishes fund

Vanessa Bryant also writes that she will establish a fund for the other victims in the helicopter accident.

“We are devastated for the families who lost their loved ones last Sunday, and we share their grief. There are not enough words to describe our pain right now, ”she writes.

Former basketball star Shaquille O'Neal has already said he will donate the proceeds from his annual Super Bowl festival this weekend to relatives of the dead and to the Bryant family's fund. O'Neill writes on Twitter that he was considering setting up the festival.

“But I thought about what Kobe had wanted, what would he have done? Kobe had wanted us to fight and celebrate life, ”he writes.

Lakers "like a family"

Even Frank Vogel, coach at Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers club, made his first statement after the star's death. The Lakers postponed their scheduled match against the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this week, and will play their first match after Bryant's death at home against Portland during the night against Saturday, Swedish time.

- We have become a family in a very short time. It's something we talk about in the NBA with our teams but love has grown within this group very quickly. This has really brought us together, says Vogel, who in particular praises stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis for their way of bringing the team together.

The game against Portland will be very emotional, Vogel says, emphasizing that the team will play for Kobe Bryant.

- We want to represent Kobe's legacy more than anything else. We have always wanted to make him proud, and it will be no different now.