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Kentucky basketball among first wave of schools to become Mamba Programs

Ryan Black, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky men's basketball program has landed an exclusive honor named after one of the sport's iconic players.

The Wildcats are among the first wave of schools designated a Mamba Program. Mamba, a label owned by shoe giant Nike named after late NBA great Kobe Bryant, will supply the team with apparel this season.

Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's widow, announced in an Instagram post Tuesday that UK, along with Duke, LSU, Oregon, Southern California and UConn, have partnered with the brand.

"We are grateful for the amazing support of these prestigious universities (in no particular order) towards the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation - to further the legacies of Kobe and Gigi!" Vanessa Bryant wrote. "So excited to see their players wearing Kobe and Gigi’s NIKE shoes this upcoming season!!!

The Wildcats will wear Kentucky-themed shoes and other gear featuring the Mamba brand beginning with the 2023-24 campaign.

In this 2018 photo, former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch the U.S. national championships swimming meet in Irvine, Calif.
In this 2018 photo, former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch the U.S. national championships swimming meet in Irvine, Calif.

The partnership deepens Kentucky's connection with Bryant and his family.

Kentucky coach John Calipari was close with Bryant. Prior to the team's trip to Toronto for the GLOBL JAM tournament earlier this summer, Vanessa Bryant gifted every member of the Wildcats a pair of Kobe 4 "Mambacita" sneakers. The shoes are named in honor of the Bryants' late daughter, Gigi, who was killed in a helicopter crash along with her father and seven others in January 2020.

In May, Calipari received his own pair of Kobe 4 "Mambacitas," a Gigi Bryant jersey as well as a copy of Bryant's book, "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play." Calipari's gift box arrived on Gigi's birthday; she would have turned 17 years old May 1.

The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization, was founded in Kobe and Gigi's memory after their deaths.

Kentucky hosted the foundation and Natalia Bryant, the family's oldest daughter, last October. The Mamba Skills Academy, held at Memorial Coliseum, was a free camp for underprivileged children in the greater Lexington area. Players and coaches from UK's women's and men's basketball teams helped during the camp.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball: Wildcats take up Kobe Bryant Mamba Program label