Wednesday would’ve been Kobe Bryant’s 45th birthday — here’s how he’s being celebrated

Wednesday would have been the 45th birthday of basketball star Kobe Bryant. Bryant passed away on Jan. 26, 2020, in a helicopter accident, along his daughter Gigi and seven more people on board, per History.

Bryant, a former Los Angeles Lakers star, is being remembered on this special day by celebrities and brands. The tributes have taken many forms — including a new sneaker line by Nike.

Kobe Bryant’s new Nikes

In celebration of what would be Bryant’s 45th birthday, his widow, Vanessa Bryant, worked alongside Nike to design a new pair of Nike sneakers that were released Wednesday. The new sneakers are called Kobe 8 Halo.

In an Instagram post, Vanessa Bryant said, “This will be one of many Kobe 8 ‘Halo’ styles coming soon.” On another post, she said, “Nike wanted this Debut Halo Collection to be limited and collectable but the good news is Nike is working towards more units for future Kobe releases!”

In a press release, Nike announced, “The Halo concept will be an annual release that will honor and celebrate this special date.”

Nike continued to describe the changes in the new design: “One of the more noticeable design updates include the embroidered Swoosh on the upper, paired with an embroidered Mamba logo on the tongue.”

Related

• This artist placed a new Kobe Bryant statue at the Calabasas helicopter crash site

• This artist placed a new Kobe Bryant statue at the Calabasas helicopter crash site

What are some of the best moments of Bryant’s career?

Kobe Bryant is considered a legend of basketball. He played the sport for 20 years. During that time he won 5 NBA championships and was an 18-time All-Star player. Some of his accomplishments include:

• An 81-point game, per CNN.

• Hitting free throws after tearing his Achilles tendon, per CNN.

• Passing Michael Jordan for third place On The All-Time Scoring List, per ESPN.

• Four consecutive 50 points games, per ESPN.

• Sixty points versus the Utah Jazz on his last game, per ESPN.

• Winning an Oscar, per CNN.

How are fans remembering Bryant’s birthday?

On his special day, the Mamba, as Bryant was nicknamed, is being remembered by family, friends and fans alike. The tributes to the All Star player are flooding social media. Here are some of the ways in which he was remembered: