USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb, respected widely in the game, announced a surprise to her team in December 2023, months before JuJu Watkins led the Trojans on a run to the Elite Eight. Gottlieb revealed their new collection of sneakers, gifted by the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation: the Nike Kobe 8 Protro, each pair matching USC’s color scheme.
“I think, a lot of times, about the people who cared about it before it was the thing. And you all know, who’ve been around here, Kobe cared about it before it was the cool thing to care about women’s basketball,” Gottlieb said to her team as her voice cracked. She wiped away an escaping tear. “I think the greatest thing you can do is leave a legacy. I think that is one of his legacies. Yes. Women’s basketball matters. Girls’ basketball matters.”
It was a touching moment, one orchestrated by Vanessa Bryant — an illustration of his resilient significance. One of the country’s most respected coaches, leading a storied women’s basketball program, hailed him as a champion of their sport. And she’s just part of a growing chorus.
On the fifth anniversary of his stunning death, Bryant lives. Yes, in statues. In Nos. 8 and 24 Lakers jerseys. In the inspiration of many current NBA stars. In the…
