Vanessa Bryant has been committed to honoring the legacies of her late husband and daughter since their untimely passing in January 2020. For her latest tribute, she has teamed up with Nike to create apparel that commemorates Kobe and Gianna Bryant.
As part of the new partnership, fans will be able to purchase Kobe and Gigi Nike products while contributing to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, where all proceeds will be donated. The first release will be the Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita Sweet 16,” which drops this year, the year Gigi would have celebrated her 16th birthday.
“I am happy to announce that we will continue my husband’s legacy with Nike and look forward to expanding his and Gigi’s global impact by sharing the Mamba Mentality with youth athletes for generations to come,” Vanessa announced in a statement. In an Instagram post about her partnership, she revealed that she and the apparel brand will also work to develop a basketball center in Southern California for young athletes.
“I am also grateful that Nike and I will work together to establish a youth basketball center in Southern California that will share the Mamba Mentality with youth athletes for generations to come,” she penned.
Vanessa’s partnership marks the continuation of a relationship with Nike, who she briefly parted ways with last April. At the time, ESPN reported that she was “frustrated” with the limited availability of Kobe’s products, the lack of kids’ sizes for his footwear, the difficult process fans endured when purchasing products and the differences between their partnership and the “lifetime” structure offered to Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Months later, she called the brand out for selling the MAMBACITA shoe she designed without her consent. Fortunately, both parties have since resolved their issues, coming together for a bigger cause.