JuJu Watkins and Sabrina Ionescu Joins Vanessa to Celebrate Kobe Bryant on “Mamba Day”

What a great day it is to be a fan of basketball! With the regular season of the NBA coming to an end, fans are eager to witness the upcoming blockbuster playoff battles. But before that, they took a moment to celebrate one of Kobe Bryant‘s most historic games of all time. 13th April, also known as the Mamba Day, had fans reminisce about the Los Angeles Lakers legend’s iconic farewell game. Interestingly, USC Trojans guard Juju Watkins and WNBA sensation Sabrina Ionescu joined Vanessa Bryant to celebrate Mamba Day in their own way. Guess how? 

In a recent Instagram post shared by Vanessa, it was found out that Nike had scheduled games at the University of South Carolina’s Galen Center, as a part of their recent initiative the ‘Mamba League’. The Lakers legend’s wife shared pictures with Juju Watkins and Sabrina Ionescu, who were roped in to make Mamba Day extra special for the young ballers.

Ionescu, who has close ties with the Bryant family, was seen wearing the famous ‘Mamba and Mambacita’ hoodie to celebrate the late legend. Watkins had just finished her freshman year at USC. The Trojans guard is already the star of the program and today, she was at the Galen Center, to honor Kobe Bryant. 

A lot of appreciation must go to Vanessa. The late legend’s wife has stood as a pillar to carry Bryant’s legacy after his devastating demise. On special occasions like the above, Vanessa has come up with interesting initiatives to ensure that the 5x champion is remembered. However, Mamba Day is something that can never leave our memories. 

Why will Mamba Day never be forgotten?

The 13th of April 2016 was the last time we saw Bryant sport the Lakers uniform. Usually, in the final games of their career, most NBA stars just play a few minutes to entertain their fans. But the Black Mamba delivered a 60-point performance against the Utah Jazz, in which he hit the game-winning shot to end his career. Notably, he also outscored the opponents all by himself in the fourth quarter(23-21), to complete a comeback. 

The entire crowd was on its feet, cheering and lauding the 2008 MVP, for defining how a final game of a superstar should be. The Lakers did not make it to the playoffs in 2016, but the season definitely ended on a happy note, with Bryant delivering a historic victory. After his 20 seasons in the NBA came to an end with style, Bryant said, “It’s hard to believe that it happened this way”. But isn’t that how fairytale endings are supposed to be?