Kobe calls himself 'girl dad' in sweet 'SportsCenter' interview about parenting

"SportsCenter" anchor Elle Duncan recounted the one and only time she met Kobe Bryant at a 2018 ESPN event in New York.

As many are recounting the moments they shared with the famed athlete, Duncan recalled the conversation she had with Bryant about parenthood and the gratitude they shared for raising daughters.

MORE: Kobe Bryant was proud of the basketball player Gianna had become

Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna shared their love of basketball, and in a recent interview, Bryant said he was proud of the basketball player Gianna had become.

"I asked if he wanted more children, and he said that his wife Vanessa really wanted to try again for a boy, but we were sort of jokingly concerned that it would be another girl, and I was like four girls, are you joking? What would you think? How would you feel? And without hesitation, he said, 'I would have five more girls if I could. I am a girl dad.,'" she said.

Duncan drew back tears and added, "The only small source of comfort for me, was knowing that he died doing what he loved the most, being a dad-- being a girl dad."

PHOTOS: Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna shared love of basketball

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Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center on November 17, 2019 in Los Angeles.

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The fatal helicopter crash took place on Sunday and claimed the lives of Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others.