Nike has had a complicated relationship with Kobe Bryant’s estate since the basketball player’s unexpected passing. Between a lackluster partnership offer and the unapproved production of new Kobe sneakers, Bryant’s widow hadn’t been too happy with the brand.
In March, however, Nike announced that it had reached a deal with the Bryant estate to continue the late basketball player’s line of sneakers and apparel. The first release under the renewed relationship will be the Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita,” an unreleased sneaker that made its rounds on resale sites last year much to the dismay of Vanessa. She designed the shoe in honor of her late daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, who also passed in the helicopter crash that took Kobe’s life.
