IRVINE, CA - JULY 26: Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant watch during day 2 of the Phillips 66 National Swimming Championships at the Woollett Aquatics Center on July 26, 2018 in Irvine, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant’s influence at Nike will continue on! After nearly a year since the All-Star’s initial endorsement deal ended, Vanessa Bryant and Nike announced a new partnership on Thursday. According to ESPN, the company will continue to produce shoes and clothing from the ‘Zoom Kobe’ series.
“We’re excited to announce our partnership with Nike is going to continue! I am so proud that my husband’s shoes are still the most worn by players on NBA courts and that the demand for his shoes remain so desired by his fans around the world.” Vanessa wrote as an Instagram caption.
Nike also released a statement on the new partnership. The company expressed how much Kobe meant to them, NBA fans and people around the world.
“His impact in growing the sport, particularly encouraging women and young people to pick it up, endures as one of his deepest, lasting legacies,” Nike’s president and CEO John Donahoe said in a statement. “Together with Vanessa, we hope to honor Kobe and Gigi by championing a new generation for many years to come.”
But Kobe isn’t the only person being honored in the new partnership. Vanessa and Kobe’s daughter Gianna Bryant is also set to influence the gear. In fact, the first new sneaker from the deal will be the Kobe 6 Protro ‘Mambacita Sweet 16.’
The shoe is part of a broader shoe series meant to honor Gigi, while giving back to the community.
“With this new partnership, fans will soon be able to have access to Kobe and Gigi Nike product for years to come and with Nike donating 100% of the net proceeds yearly for Gianna’s shoes to our Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation (M&MSF),” Vanessa wrote.
According to ESPN, Nike says the first drop from the partnership could happen on May 1 — just in time for Gigi’s 16th birthday. Apparently, the shoe was produced before April 2021, but it was never released. These sneakers will reportedly have a color scheme of black, white and gold accents.
There’s an additional charitable component to the partnership with Nike. The company promised to put coins behind building a concrete part of Kobe’s legacy.
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