Kobe Bryant’s Unreleased Nike Kicks Find It’s Way to UCONN Team Ahead of Sweet 16 Battle

The championship may still be far for the UConn Huskies, but the rewards are already coming in. Notably, the team defeated the Northwestern Wildcats in their second round March Madness game. The Connecticut Huskies have now advanced to the Sweet-16 stage of the NCAA tournament. And Vanessa Bryant and Nike have congratulated the team with a signature Kobe Bryant gift.

Vanessa gifted the entire team of the Huskies with ‘Nike Kobe 6 Protro Italian Camo’ ahead of their next match. “Just want to say thank you to Vanessa, Bryant and the Bryant family. We appreciate you. We’re going to show out in the NCAA tour,” said Huskies’ Hassan Diara. It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time that a gesture from the Kobe Bryant family has benefitted the Huskies.

In fact, Huskies were among the six NCAA basketball teams to join the Nike ‘Mamba Program’. They were presented with special Nike Kobe Player Editions back in 2023. The teams were selected after Vanessa relaunched the ‘Kobe Brand’ with Nike for further production of sneakers and apparel. The other five teams included Oregon Ducks, LSU Tigers, USC Trojans, Duke Blue Devils and Kentucky Wildcats. All of them were selected under the ‘Mamba Program’ for the 2023-24 college basketball season.

“We are grateful for the amazing support of these prestigious universities…to further the legacies of Kobe and Gigi!” said Vanessa Bryant back then. It is worth mentioning that Huskies have time and again shown their respect for Kobe and Gianna Bryant through their tributes. This latest gesture by Vanessa comes as a reciprocation of the mutual love. And it may well boost the Huskies’ confidence ahead of the NCAA tournament’s sweet-16 stage.

Read More: Is the Current UConn Huskies Team Entering Its Golden Generation? 

Can the UConn Huskies win this year’s March Madness?

The Huskies will be facing the San Diego State Aztecs in the sweet-16 stage. Notably, Huskies are being considered fan favorites to win the NCAA tournament this season. “More than twice as many people picked UConn (26.09 percent) to win it all than the next two picks — Houston (10.94 percent) and North Carolina (9.9 percent),” states the official NCAA website.

The Huskies won their first two rounds more easily than anyone would have thought. They registered a 91-52 win over Stetson Hatters in the first round. While the team ousted Northwestern Wildcats in the second round with a 75-58 score. As for their upcoming match with Aztecs, Huskies have a statistical advantage over their opponents.

The Connecticut team has averaged 81.5 points, 35.3 rebounds and 18.5 assists per game. Meanwhile, the San Diego team has managed 74.6 points, 34.2 rebounds and 13.1 assists per game. But the Aztecs have got a 0.6 point advantage over Huskies in terms of defensive rating as per Fox Sports.

While the Aztecs will be seeking revenge against Huskies for last year’s defeat in tournament final, the Huskies will be looking to retain the title and not let down the Kobe Bryant family aspirations in the next game. Who do you think is going to emerge victorious in the battle between the two teams? Let us know your favorites to win the NCAA tournament this year in comments.

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