File. Vanessa Bryant attends a ceremony unveiling and permanently placing Kobe Bryant’s hand and footprints in the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre on March 15, 2023 in Hollywood, California.
Originally appeared on E! Online
Vanessa Bryant's heart is fluttering as she remembers her and Kobe Bryant's late daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant.
In honor of what would've been Gigi's 18th birthday on May 1, Vanessa unveiled a special edition design for the Nike Kobe 8 "Mambacita," the sneakers based on the teen's nickname.
The new pattern featured black butterflies on a white background with golden accents, including a heart-shaped pendant baring the "Mambacita" logo. The design also included Gigi's name and her basketball jersey number written in black letters on the heel of the shoe.
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"MAMBACITA," Vanessa wrote on Instagram. "5/1/2006 GIGI."
On her Instagram Stories, the 41-year-old re-shared a video from Nike breaking down the meaning behind the motif.
"Gigi changed the game," the company's post read, explaining that the butterflies symbolize the "transformational impact she had on highlighting women's sports.
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Profits from the design will benefit the "Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation," the charity started by Vanessa in honor of her late husband Kobe and Gigi as a way to support underserved child athletes, per the brand.
Gigi died at age 13 alongside Kobe, 41, in January 2020 helicopter crash. At the time, the father-daughter duo were heading to a kids basketball game at Kobe's Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Earlier this month, Vanessa commemorated her and Kobe's 23rd wedding anniversary, sharing a collage of herself and Kobe hugging and kissing. As the entrepreneur—who is also mom to their daughters Natalia, 21, Bianka, 7, and Capri, 4—wrote, "Happy Anniversary @kobebryant #23."
