The eighth annual “Kobe Bryant Day” in Los Angeles will take place Saturday, one day after the Los Angeles Lakers All-Star shooting guard’s 46th birthday. After his retirement from the NBA in 2016, former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti dedicated August 24 to Bryant. The date honors the numbers 8 and 24 he wore during his two-decade NBA career.
After Bryant and his basketball-loving daughter Gianna were killed in a tragic helicopter crash in January 2020, the Orange County Board of Supervisors decided to participate in Kobe Bryant Day. That same year, Nike declared the week of Bryant’s birthday “Mamba Week.”
The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, led by Bryant’s widow Vanessa Bryant, started the week by releasing a purple and gold collection called “LA Royal.” The colors represent the Lakers, a team with which Bryant won five NBA championships.
Starting in 2023, Nike will host the Mamba League Invitational, a two-day basketball tournament for high school players to enjoy the game Bryant loved so much. The inaugural tournament featured many talented players, including Bryce James, the son of one of Bryant’s former teammates, LeBron James.
In addition to Kobe Bryant Day and Mamba Week, other organizations in Los Angeles are also participating in honoring the 18-time NBA All-Star.
The Santa Monica Pier is home to an amusement park that includes the Pacific Park Ferris wheel. On Wednesday of Mamba Week, the Ferris wheel is lit up in purple and gold lights and displays the numbers 8 and 24 in honor of Bryant.
The Dodgers have also developed their own way of honoring Bryant with upcoming weekend festivities at their next three home games. On Friday, there will be a Lakers-themed drone show at Dodger Stadium to celebrate the legacy of Bryant and the 2020 NBA champions.
Several Bryant-themed gifts will be given to fans at Saturday and Sunday’s games. On Saturday, the Dodgers will distribute Showtime T-shirts to the first 40,000 fans. The T-shirts feature several legendary Lakers, including Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played important roles in Bryant’s career.
On Sunday, the first 40,000 fans will be able to get their hands on a black and gold Dodgers jersey with the name “Bryant” on the back. Although Bryant never played a professional baseball game, the jersey shows the immense respect the Dodgers franchise has for the Los Angeles legend.
This week’s celebrations, as well as the countless Kobe Bryant memorials throughout LA, reflect the legacy Bryant left behind.
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