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It’s not easy to find gifts for millionaires, but Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa apparently hit a home run with the Los Angeles Dodgers players this week.
On the eighth anniversary of Bryant’s final NBA game, Vanessa gifted members of the Dodgers with exclusive sneakers in a team colorway from the late basketball star’s signature Nike line.
The club posted a thank you message to Vanessa Bryant with photos of the shoes on the social media platform X and shared a video on Instagram of the players opening their new Nike Kobe 6 LA Dodgers PE shoes.
Mookie Betts said he was going to wear them every day and manager Dave Roberts said, “They’re ridiculous.” I’m going to wear them with Mamba pride.’
Bryant scored 60 points for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Utah Jazz at home in the final game of his career on April 13, 2016, often referred to as Mamba Day in a nod to his Black Mamba nickname.
Mookie Betts (left) and Dave Roberts (right) are seen receiving their Nike sneakers.
Kobe Bryant attends a 2018 World Series game between the Dodgers and Red Sox
Kobe Bryant poses with his family at halftime of a Lakers game in December 2017.
Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash in 2020.
The Bryant family has always had a strong connection to the Dodgers.
In September, Natalia Bryant threw out the first pitch before a game against the visiting Atlanta Braves.
Afterward, a smiling Natalia hugged Betts, who was wearing her father’s No. 24 jersey over his uniform.
Dodgers pitcher Bobby Miller admires his new Nike Kobe 6 cleats LA Dodgers PE
Bryant was joined by his mother, Vanessa, and his sisters, Bianka, 6, and Capri, 4. They were all wearing Dodger jerseys. The back of Vanessa reads Queen Mamba, a nod to Kobe’s nickname. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka also attended.
The Braves and Dodgers lined up along the first and third base sides, with the Dodgers wearing Lakers jerseys and fans chanting ‘Kobe! Kobe!’
When the Bryants were introduced, Vanessa blew a kiss to the crowd. Natalia picked up her younger sister before handing her over and being left alone on the field to watch a slideshow of her father visiting the Dodgers clubhouse.
Natalia was following in her father’s footsteps. Kobe Bryant handled first-pitch duties in a Dodgers game in 2000.
The family settled into the owners’ box to watch the game, with Bianka hanging from the fence separating the seats from the field to get a better view.
Fans who purchased a special ticket package received a black jersey with the Dodgers and the number 8 on the front and Bryant and the number 24 on the back, the numbers Bryant wore during his 20-year career in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers presented a $100,000 check to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides sports funding and programming to underserved athletes.