Following three years of uncertainty, Kobe Bryant‘s clothing and footwear lines have rendered some significant announcements over the past two months, reviving their respective brands. Since reintroducing the “Kobe Brand,” Nike has launched footwear, and gear, and offered a distinct future outlook.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the revitalized “Kobe Brand” is Vanessa Bryant‘s decision to pick the NCAA basketball teams that will be receiving recognition as “Mamba Programs” for the 2023–24 academic year.
The very first institution approved for the “Mamba Program” was the University of Kentucky Wildcats around August. The other group of institutions to additionally receive the title include the UConn Huskies, Oregon Ducks, LSU Tigers, USC Trojans, and Duke Blue Devils, as stated in Vanessa Bryant’s social media post.
Vanessa Bryant announces Mamba and Mambacita sports foundation will partner with 6 different college basketball programs this season.
LSU
Kentucky
Duke
Oregon
UConn
USC“So excited to see their players wearing Kobe and Gigi’s NIKE shoes this upcoming season!!” 💜 pic.twitter.com/ScP7nVBcNb
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 6, 2023
“We are grateful for the amazing support of these prestigious universities…to further the legacies of Kobe and Gigi!” said Vanessa Bryant. “So excited to see their players wearing Kobe and Gigi’s NIKE shoes this upcoming season!!”, she added via Instagram.
The teams might ultimately sport the iconic Nike Kobe “Sheath” insignia on their jerseys along with donning the player-exclusive footwear and clothing merchandise. All of this is a component of an even broader strategy that Vanessa Bryant, Nike, and the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation have all endorsed.
Vanessa Bryant played a pivotal role in the comeback of Kobe Bryant’s signature line
The announcement that Nike and Kobe Bryant’s estates had parted ways less than two years ago startled the sportswear industry. This happened due to the inability to agree on terms of a fresh agreement. In the months that followed, demand for Nike Kobe products increased on the secondhand marketplace as the number of new retail releases dropped until none had remained on the release timeline.
A new agreement that would permit Kobe Bryant’s connections with the company to last for the foreseeable future was revealed by Nike and Bryant’s wife Vanessa over a year later.
Since then, Nike has been highly selective about the Kobe merchandise it releases, limiting them to Kobe 4 and Kobe 6 retros modeled by Bryant’s late daughter Gigi, a crucial factor in Vanessa’s preference to rejoin Nike.
More Kobes will reportedly be making an appearance this year, including an all-white Kobe 8 that has been connected to Kobe Day on August 24 (8/24). There had been no confirmation of the debut previously, however Q4 Nike Earnings Call may have given some indication of what to expect.
“It’s going to be an exciting summer as we set the stage to relaunch the Kobe brand in advance of Kobe Day on 8.24,” said Donahoe.
Nike hasn’t yet made it clear what exactly the relaunch for the Kobe line entails, but it’s likely to infer that it signifies a comeback to regular product launches. The Kobe 6 was given to NBA players earlier this year in an exclusive “Black History Month” edition, and the Kobe 4 is also anticipated to come back to sale in an exciting new color this holiday season.
