made sure to take a moment during the to greet some special guests.
The NBA star, 38, stopped to say hello to Lakers legend 's daughters, who were seated courtside at the event, which they attended with mom .
James shared a big hug with , 19, and also hugged , 6, while Capri, 3, hung back shyly behind Natalia. He then sat down for a photo with the three girls, with Capri climbing into her sister's lap and facing away from the camera.
The girls — who Vanessa and the late Lakers star share along with Gianna, who died alongside her dad at age 13 — were in attendance to watch close family friend and teammate be presented with by their mom.
"I'm so pleased that Pau has been chosen to receive this award. Pau has done so much to promote women and girls in sports and cares deeply about spreading a message of equality, which was so important to Kobe and Gianna," Vanessa, 40, the Chair of the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a positive impact for underserved athletes and boys and girls in sports, said in a statement about the honor.
"We are grateful to the WNBA and Pau for continuing to honor Kobe and Gianna in this way," she added.
James — who shares daughter Zhuri, 8, and sons , 15, and , 18, with wife Savannah James — and Kobe shared a special moment the night before the that resulted in Kobe and Gianna's deaths, as well as those of seven others.
During a game between the Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers, James — a monumental moment in his career.
That night, James worethat paid tribute to the Lakers legend. Later on, Bryant congratulated James on the milestone with a message on Instagram.
"On to #2 @kingjames! Keep growing the game and charting the path for the next," Kobe .
