Sunday marked what would have been Gianna ‘Gigi’ Bryant’s 16th birthday.
WASHINGTON- Editor’s note: The attached video is from the second anniversary of the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, along with seven others.
On what would have been Gianna “Gigi” Bryant’s 16th birthday, Nike released a special pair of shoes in her honor on Sunday, complete with a 60-second ad.
The Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita Sweet 16” shoe features a snakeskin pattern that represents “Gigi’s Mambacita Mentality,” according to a note that accompanies the shoe from Vanessa Bryant, Gianna’s mother and Kobe Bryant’s widow.
“This reminds us all to focus on the process and always have faith in the work we do,” the post continues.
Gianna, Kobe Bryant and seven others were killed in January 2020 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
The shoe, which was only available for purchase through exclusive access through the SNKRS app, sold out in just two minutes, according to an Instagram post from the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. Proceeds from the shoe benefit the foundation.
In addition to the 60-second ad marking Gianna’s 16th birthday, Nike released a full-page ad that features “Basketball’s” lengthy love letter.
“Dear Gianna, from the first time you imagined winning a WNBA championship, I knew one thing was real: you were special,” Nike advertising begins.
The “Mambacita” shoe is part of a new partnership between Nike and the Bryant family.
The previous partnership reportedly ended because Kobe Bryant’s estate grew tired of limiting Nike products during his retirement and after his death.
Last June, Vanessa Bryant called out Nike when versions of the “Mambacita” shoe appeared online without her permission. At the time, she said she worked there in honor of her daughter, Gianna, but the sale was not approved at the time.