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Vanessa Bryant marks late daughter Gianna's 18th birthday with release of Nike special

16
SHAFIQ NAJIB
·2 min read

Vanessa Bryant is honoring her late daughter Gianna, whom she shared with her late husband Kobe Bryant, to mark what would have been her 18th birthday.

The businesswoman, philanthropist, and model shared pictures on Instagram on Monday featuring special edition Nike Kobe 8 "Mambacita" sneakers to celebrate the upcoming event.

PHOTO: In this Nov. 29, 2015, file photo, Vanessa Bryant (L) and Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant attend a basketball game between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center, in Los Angeles. (Noel Vasquez/GC Images via Getty Images, FILE)
PHOTO: In this Nov. 29, 2015, file photo, Vanessa Bryant (L) and Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant attend a basketball game between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center, in Los Angeles. (Noel Vasquez/GC Images via Getty Images, FILE)

The new design includes ​​a black, white, and gold butterfly theme and words "Gigi" at the back of the shoes.

"❤️Gianna❤️Gigi❤️MAMBACITA ❤️ 5/1/06 ❤️," she captioned the post.

On the same day, Nike also released a video on X, formally known as Twitter to mark the release of its new design which will be available to purchase on Gianna's birthday, May 1.

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MORE: What to know about Kobe and Vanessa Bryant's 4 daughters

"Gigi changed the game. Forever," the brand wrote. "On 5.1 we celebrate Gianna "Gigi" Bryant's 18th birthday & the transformational impact she had on women's sports with the Kobe 8 Protro 'Mambacita.'"

The company said the profits from the sale will benefit the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit which was created to honor Kobe and Gigi's legacies.

In addition to Gianna, Vanessa Bryant and Kobe Bryant who tied the knot on April 18, 2001, also shared three other daughters: Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.

Gianna died alongside her father in a helicopter crash in 2020 when she was 13 years old.

PHOTO: In this Dec. 19, 2014, file photo, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers poses with wife Vanessa and daughters Gianna (L) and Natalia before the game with the Oklahoma City Thunder, at Staples Center, in Los Angeles. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images, FILE)
PHOTO: In this Dec. 19, 2014, file photo, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers poses with wife Vanessa and daughters Gianna (L) and Natalia before the game with the Oklahoma City Thunder, at Staples Center, in Los Angeles. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images, FILE)

Earlier this month, Vanessa Bryant honored Kobe Bryant on what would have been their 23rd wedding anniversary, sharing a collage of throwback photos of her and her husband together in an Instagram post.

The photos showed the late basketball legend sporting a suit and tie while Vanessa Bryant wore a sparkling long-sleeved dress. One snap featured the couple sharing a kiss and another shows the pair having fun posing for the camera.

"Happy Anniversary @kobebryant ❤️ #23," Vanessa Bryant wrote in the caption at the time.

Vanessa Bryant marks late daughter Gianna's 18th birthday with release of Nike special originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com