Los Angeles Dodgers receive exclusive Kobe Bryant sneakers courtesy of his widow Vanessa Bryant

To commemorate the eighth anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s iconic 60-point performance in his last ever NBA game, the Los Angeles Dodgers were met with a noteworthy gift on April 13 from Kobe’s widow, Vanessa. Bearing special edition Dodger-themed pairs of Kobe’s signature Nike line, members of the LA baseball team were taken aback by the surprising gesture.

Dodgers star Mookie Betts’ reaction to the gift was captured in an Instagram post from the official LA Dodgers team, where he said:

"Nice. Alright, I’ll make sure to wear these every day."

- Mookie Betts

While Dodgers second baseman Gavin Lux’s response to the new kicks represented his excitement to full effect:

"Are these the Dodger ones? Oh, my God. Yo, I saw these on the internet the other day and I was like 'I need these.' These are so sick. Thank you, Vanessa. I love you."

- Gavin Lux

The Dodger-inspired colorway of Nike’s Kobe 6 Protro is a PE (Player-Exclusive) model. In the lead-up to Mamba Day, Vanessa Bryant unveiled several Kobe PE colorway sneakers including the Nike Kobe 8 Protro "Wifey’s", Nike Kobe 4 Protro "Pink", and the Nike Kobe 8 Protro "Leopard".

The Nike Kobe 6 Protro "Dodgers" features a royal blue shade with a snakeskin-textured upper, with white accents filling out the rest of the shoe including the laces, Kobe logo, Nike logo, and midsole. Kobe's signature number aside from his famous "24", the number "8" is featured in red along the sides of the shoe. Red stitching can be seen on the tongue tab of the shoe, mirroring that of a traditional baseball.

The April 13 date marks Kobe Bryant's final game as a pro in the NBA, when he scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016. Sadly, Kobe Bryant along with his daughter Gianna (or Gigi) and seven others were killed in a plane crash on January 26, 2020. The man known as "Black Mamba" was only 41 years old at the time of his passing, while his daughter Gigi was 13 years old.

Bryant's untimely passing was felt like a shockwave across the entire sports world. Leagues and organizations everywhere made their own special tributes to Kobe's memory, including the MLB. In August 2020, the month in which Bryant would have celebrated his 42nd birthday, the Los Angeles Dodgers commemorated the lives of Kobe and Gigi with a touching salute.

To say the Dodgers franchise was more than ecstatic to receive such a kind gift is an understatement, as they took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their gratitude to Vanessa Bryant. Their message read as follows:

"Mamba Forever.

Thank you for the gift, Vanessa Bryant! Can’t wait to celebrate the anniversary of Kobe’s historic last game in style. #MambaDay"

- via the LA Dodgers official X account