Kobe Bryant's late daughter Gigi honored with limited edition sneakers for her birthday
Nike launched the Kobe 8 Protro "Mambacita" to celebrate the birthday of the late Gianna "Gigi" Bryant. She would have turned 18 this year.
On January 26, 2020, basketball star Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in California. Since their passing, Nike has been honoring the Lakers icon and his daughter with limited-edition sneakers.
The Kobe 8 Protro Mambacita features a white, metallic gold, and black colorway which was inspired by Gigi’s youth basketball team uniform. It also featured the 13-year-old’s name on the left heel and jersey number on the right heel tab.
The shoes also sport Black butterflies printed throughout and a ‘Mambacita’ heart and wings symbolizing Gigi’s enduring love for sports which aims to continue to inspire the future.
On Instagram, Kobe's wife Vanessa Bryant shared a closer look at the shoe, writing, "Gigi forever changed the game."
"On [May 1,] we celebrate Gianna “Gigi” Bryant’s 18th birthday and the transformational impact she had on highlighting women’s sports with the release of the Kobe 8 Protro ‘Mambacita,'" she said.
The limited edition pair is available through SNKRS for P9,895 for adults and P5,795 for older kids.