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Vanessa Bryant Gifts New Nike Kobe Sneakers to USC Trojans

Vanessa Bryant supplied the USC Trojans with new Nike Kobe sneakers for the upcoming basketball season.

Pat Benson

Vanessa Bryant Gifts New Nike Kobe Sneakers to USC Trojans
Vanessa Bryant Gifts New Nike Kobe Sneakers to USC Trojans /
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The new college basketball season officially tips off tonight, and the USC Trojans were the first squad to get shocked. The pleasant surprise came from Vanessa Bryant and the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, who gifted unreleased Nike sneakers to the Trojans.

Earlier this fall, USC was one of six NCAA teams selected as "Mamba Programs." The rare designation is in honor of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Each program will receive rare basketball shoes, apparel, and more throughout the upcoming season and beyond.

Thanks to the Trojans' social media team, fans were treated to pictures and videos of the player's reactions to yesterday's surprise. Players screamed, danced, and thanked Vanessa for the unreleased pair of Nike Kobe 6 Protro sneakers in the 'Reverse Grinch' colorway. The Nike Kobe 6 Protro 'Reverse Grinch' is scheduled to be released on December 16, 2023. 

Since the relaunch of the "Kobe Brand" in August, the number of Nike Kobe sneakers released has remained extremely limited in scale. It is an issue Vanessa blamed on Nike, and she has promised to continue working on increasing the availability of the highly sought-after hoop shoes. 

While we patiently await more of Kobe's legendary sneakers to drop, online shoppers can stock up on Trojans' footwear and apparel on the Nike website. Meanwhile, with the men's and women's NCAA basketball underway, hoops fans can expect plenty of sneaker highlights on the court. Follow FanNationKicks.com for all your footwear news from the sports world.

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Every Nike Kobe Sneaker Release Date for 2023-2024

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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