All Kobe, All Heart: USC and UConn Honor the Mamba with Nike

Nike teamed up with the USC and UConn women’s basketball teams to honor Kobe and Gigi Bryant, celebrating Mamba Mentality, legacy, and basketball’s next generation.

Nearly six years after his tragic passing, Nike is still finding innovative ways to pay tribute to one of its signature athletes, Kobe Bryant. Over the weekend in Los Angeles, The Swoosh recruited both the USC and UConn women’s basketball teams to accomplish something never done before: celebrate the Lakers legend and his late daughter, Gigi, by all wearing different pairs of Bryant’s signature Nike sneakers.

All players and personnel walked onto the court at the Galen Center for pre-game activities, sporting a unique colorway and silhouette. Among the most eye-catching were the Kobe 6 “Statue of Liberty” for Serah Williams, the Kobe 5 “Year Of The Snake” for Azzi Fudd, and the Kobe 3 “Christmas” for Jana El Alfy. For the hosts, Jazzy Davidson played in the Kobe 4 “CHBL,” Kara Dunn rocked the Kobe 9 EM “Mambacita,” and Londyn Jones hooped in the Kobe 9 Elite “Moonwalker.”

While those are just a few mentioned, a quick glance at all the selected kicks is worth your time. They’re not only emblematic of the creative efforts by Bryant and Nike but also a beautiful tribute to both Kobe and Gigi’s legacy, their unbreakable bond, and efforts by Vanessa Bryant to preserve the duo’s impact on basketball as a whole.

Before her untimely passing, Gigi was a longtime Huskies fan and expressed how she longed to play college ball at UConn. In the team’s first match following the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Kobe, Gigi, and seven other passengers, the team paid tribute by draping her No. 2 jersey over one of their bench seats. A bouquet wrapped in blue and white ribbons was in front of it.

Although he never played college basketball, there’s no denying that Bryant’s connection to both USC and UConn runs deep. The five-time NBA Finals champion spent his entire 20-year career in southern California, capitalizing on his influence to speak at USC often and even host early Mamba Academy camps at the Galen Center, as well as his longtime work with the UConn basketball program. In perhaps the most unique way to express yourself on the court, through footwear, Nike and the Kobe Brand are steadily reminding athletes to approach the game with the same Mamba Mentality he and Gigi played with until the very end.

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Kobe’s Influence, Generations Strong

Saturday’s display of sportsmanship is the latest from Nike in its continued celebration of the Bryants, but even earlier this year, we saw the lengths Nike went to in commemorating one of the most important days on the calendar. For Mamba Day, recognized annually on Aug. 24 (8/24) and a day after Bryant’s birthday, a two-day basketball tournament brought together elite high school athletes from across the nation to show off their skills and passion on the court.

Called the 2025 Mamba League Invitational and the LA Don’t Play Showcase, it’s an elite basketball showcase where about 70 high school athletes from across the country were selected by Nike to participate in training at the Nike Academy and compete in the Nike Mamba League Invitational. Players previously come from Peach Jam and Nike Nationals, which are regarded as highly competitive events in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, a program Nike established to provide the next generation of hoopers the elevated experience, exposure, and innovation they need to go from “grassroots to greatness.”

For the 13 LA-based hoopers in attendance, they were also given the chance to take part in LA Don’t Play, another Nike summer program where players received mentorship, mental health support, and pro-level training to elevate their skill set.

Throughout these various activations and footprints, one central theme becomes apparent: sportsmanship, community, and respect eclipse any storylines the final score will ultimately generate. And for Nike, it’ll continue to work to ensure that Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s heritage is preserved for this generation and the ones to follow.