Lakers Video: The Kobe And Gianna Bryant Dream Court Opens At Pearson Park In Anaheim

Corey Hansford
4 Min Read
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The legacy and impact of the late, great Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant continues to grow and push the next generation even after his tragic passing. The lives of Kobe and his daughter Gianna Bryant continue to be celebrated and Kobe’s dreams of giving back continue on thanks to the efforts of his wife, Vanessa.

Kobe was always about giving to the next generation, always willing to work with the next great stars and pass on his wealth of knowledge. But he had also gotten very involved in youth basketball, particularly at the urging of Gianna, whose basketball team he coached.

The Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation continues to do a lot for youth basketball around the country and the latest gift was recently unveiled on Gigi’s 16th birthday. The Kobe and Gianna Bryant Dream Court at Pearson Park in Anaheim was unveiled and opened, via @Kobemurals on Twitter::

The court is absolutely beautiful and adorned with tributes to Kobe and Gianna everywhere including an absolutely jaw-dropping mural in the shape of a butterfly from artist Brian Peterson. As Peterson noted in a video posted to Vanessa Bryant’s Instagram, the translation of Vanessa means butterfly and signifies moving from one life to the next.

The court was a joint venture with the Mamba and Mabacita Sports Foundation along with Nancy Lieberman Charities. The unveiling was also attended by Lakers general manager and Kobe’s close friend and former agent Rob Pelinka as well as Pau Gasol and his wife.

While the loss of Kobe, Gianna and everyone on that helicopter remains absolutely devastating, it is great to see Kobe’s dreams and passions continue to live on. Kobe was pushing to have an impact in so many different areas and he is still doing so to this day.

Things such as this court ensure that the legend of Kobe Bryant will live on forever and the impact he and Gianna have will never go away.

Nike Kobe 6 Protro ‘Mambacita Sweet 16’ released

Also taking place on what would have been Gianna Bryant’s 16th birthday was the release of the Nike Kobe 6 Protro ‘Mambacita Sweet 16’ shoe from Nike. This was the first Kobe shoe release since his estate and Nike reached a new agreement to continue working together.

The sneaker features the names of both Kobe and Gianna as well as her number on both sides. All profits from the shoe will go towards the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.

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Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.