Bryant Estate and Nike signed a new partnership to continue Bryant's legacy in basketball. Nike will also start producing a Gigi sneakers in the future.
After failing to reach an agreement in April 2021, Vanessa Bryant announced on Instagram that Kobe Bryant's estate has signed a deal with Nike to honor the legacy of her late husband and daughter Gianna on March 24, Thursday.
"We’re excited to announce our partnership with Nike is going to continue!," Vanessa wrote on Thursday. "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."
Bryant also said that Nike will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from her late daughter Gianna’s shoes to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.
“I am also grateful that Nike and I will work together to establish a youth basketball center in Southern California that will share the Mamba Mentality with youth athletes for generations to come,” her Instagram post continued. “I know this is an inspiring moment for my husband and daughter’s global fans, and I am very appreciative of each and every one of you!”
John Donahoe, president of Nike, acknowledged Kobe’s importance to basketball fans and his impact on and off the court in a statement.
"His impact in growing the sport, particularly encouraging women and young people to pick it up, endures as one of his deepest, lasting legacies. Together with Vanessa, we hope to honor Kobe and Gigi by championing a new generation for many years to come."
Aside from the crucial element of the partnership being the new facility, Nike offered to produce more Kobes and to launch a Gigi line of sneakers in the future.
The first Nike Gigi shoe to be released will be the Kobe 6 Protro 'Mambacita Sweet 16' which has surfaced the internet since last year of May but has never been officially released. It is scheduled to drop this May.
Tags: # Nike, #KobeandGigiBryant, #NBA