After a long limbo period in which it seemed Nike would no longer make Kobe Bryant’s signature shoes, Vanessa Bryant took to her Instagram account to announce the decision on Thursday to keep the long partnership going.
Vanessa Bryant announces their partnership with Nike will continue:
-Kobe and Gigi Nike product will be available
-100% of net proceeds for Gigi’s shoes will be donated to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation
-Youth Basketball Center in SoCal(via vanessabryant/IG) pic.twitter.com/3NEII9OH4F
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) March 24, 2022
Once the news broke that the partnership between the Bryant family and Nike was potentially coming to an end, many fans of the late Los Angeles Lakers legend and his signature shoes were devastated, including superstar forward Anthony Davis.
Bryant’s shoes are incredibly popular among players in the NBA today, with many players like Davis refusing to wear anything else when they play. In fact, Kobe’s signature shoes remain the most worn among active players in the league, which means this announcement is huge for the NBA.
Production on Kobe’s signature shoes came to a halt after the tragic helicopter accident that took the lives of Vanessa’s husband Kobe, daughter Gigi and seven others back in January of 2020.
Vanessa also announced that she’s proud that she and Nike will work together on building a youth basketball center in Southern California. She aims to keep Mamba Mentality alive and well through the continued partnership with Nike and basketball fans worldwide are undoubtedly ecstatic about the news.