LL Cool J's Wife Simone Smith Honors Late Granddad in Post Inspired by Kobe Bryant

LL Cool J's wife, Simone Smith, is one of the many people inspired by the late Kobe Bryant's love for his daughters. In that light, Simone remembers her late grandfather, who was also a "girl dad."

Kobe impacted fans all around the world during his lifetime, but it appears he's enriching more lives in death. The late basketball legend recently helped Simone pay tribute to her late grandfather.

Simone took to Instagram on Thursday with a throwback picture of herself and her late "Papa." From her chosen hashtags, we know the snap was taken in 1998 and featured a much-younger Simone with bangs.

The couple has encountered other challenges but always manage to tackle them head-on as a team.

With another hashtag, Simone described her grandparent as a "girl dad" during his lifetime. The jewelry designer was taking a leaf from Kobe, who reportedly once gushed about how much he loved having daughters.

Kobe, 41, died tragically in a helicopter crash on Sunday. His 13-year-old daughter, Gigi, and seven other people also perished in the accident that has sparked a wave of mourning across the globe.

After an ESPN reporter recalled a conversation with Kobe where he said he would have five daughters if he could, fathers took to social media with photos of them and their daughters, using the hashtag "girl dad."

It appears the #girldad trend got Simone thinking of her late grandpa, hence the loving tribute. As it turned out, some of her friends and followers could not help pointing out the resemblance between them.

"You look so much alike," Beyoncé's mom Tina Lawson wrote, adding a red heart emoji. "You look a lot like him," chimed in another Instagram user.

At the time when Simone posed for the heartwarming picture with her "Papa," she had been married to LL (born James Todd Smith) for three years. The lovebirds have four grown kids and are still going strong to this day.

While LL and Simone are considered couple goals by many people, their marriage has not been all smooth sailing. Long before Simone's 2004 battle with cancer, things almost turned ugly for the Smiths.

Early on in their marriage, Simone was uncomfortable with some of her husband's rap music videos. For LL's 1995 hit "Doin It," she even went as far as giving him the silent treatment for two weeks.

"I was so upset over that video because I was like, 'We're married. I understand you're a sex symbol," Simone told Oprah Winfrey some years back. "But at the same time, now that you're married, there should be some limitation."

LL respected his wife's feelings and toned down the risqué material in his music videos. Since then, the couple has encountered other challenges but always manage to tackle them head-on as a team.

The "NCIS: Los Angeles" star also remains a pillar of support to Simone, supporting her businesses and, as he told ESSENCE recently, helping his wife's dream "become a reality."