Nike Releasing Kobe Bryant Denim Nike Air Force 1

Nike is definitely taking advantage of the love and admiration that sneakerheads and basketball fans have for Kobe Bryant merchandise.

Earlier this year, on the eighth anniversary of Bryant’s last NBA game before he retired from the NBA, April 13, the sneaker giant celebrated what has been named “Mamba Day” for Bryant’s alter ego, Black Mamba. Nike released three versions of the Kobe sneakers. The sneakers made available for purchase by the company were the Kobe 8 Protro Venice Beach, the Kobe 6 Protro Italian Camo, and the Kobe 4 Protro Philly.

The legacy of Bryant goes way beyond the basketball court, and the deceased NBA Hall of Famer is still celebrated today. 

Bryant retired in 2016 and scored an NBA season-high 60 points in his last game. The 41-year-old basketball legend died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others on Jan. 26, 2020. The popular player played his entire career with the franchise that snatched him up in a Draft Day trade, won the NBA championship five times, was a two-time Finals MVP, and was the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player. He made the All-Star team 18 times during his career and became the youngest player to reach 30,000 points.

Warner Bros. Pictures has recently picked up the rights to the script of With the 8th Pick, which tells the story of the New Jersey Nets’ attempt to land Kobe Bryant as their 1996 NBA Draft Pick.

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