Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant attend the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks on December 29, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
A new sneaker from Nike was inspired by a touching court-side moment shared by the great Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna.
Vanessa Bryant and daughter Natalia shared photos of the Nike Kobe 4 “Girl Dad” shoe Friday in a series of Instagram posts before the sneaker's June 7 release.
“Grateful for the passion Kobe had for our daughters and the light he brought to women’s sports,” Vanessa Bryant posted. "This Father’s Day we celebrate Kobe’s commitment and love for our daughters Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri."
The heartwarming images that inspired the shoe were captured Dec. 29, 2019 during a game between the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks at what was then called Staples Center. A smiling Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gianna are pictured court-side engaged in watching the game they both loved.
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The photos were taken just weeks before the Jan. 26, 2020 helicopter crash that killed nine people, including Bryant and Gianna, who were heading to a girl’s basketball tournament at Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park.
The shoes feature “Girl Dad” printed on the inner tongue. The orange insole mirrors Bryant’s support of women’s basketball and color of the WNBA hoodie he was wearing at the December 2019 game. The green of Bryant’s beanie is represented in the shoe’s upper.
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The reveal comes ahead of Father's Day on June 16.
"For our Most Valuable Girl Dad. This Father’s Day we celebrate my Dad’s love for me and my sisters," Natalia Bryant, 21, posted.
Bryant was devoted to supporting women’s basketball and efforts to provide more opportunities for girls learning to play the game he loved. The five-time NBA champion worked with younger generations of players at the Mamba Sports Academy.
Gianna was a rising youth star, often seen court-side immersed in the action at Lakers games. Better known as Gigi, she was the second-oldest of the Bryants' four children.
Vanessa Bryant is the chair of the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation. The nonprofit aims to create opportunities for underserved young athletes in honor of Kobe Bryant and Gianna.
Last month, she joined Nickerson Gardens residents for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of refurbished gym at the public housing community in Watts. Nickerson Gardens, managed by the Housing Authority of Los Angeles, was chosen for the project, in part, because it's the former site of the Boys and Girls Club where Kobe Bryant hosted his "Mamba League" youth basketball program.
