The friendship between Kobe Bryant, Vanessa Bryant, and WNBA All-Star Sabrina Ionescu is widely recognized. Over time, their relationship grew stronger as they went from working together on the court to spending holidays with each other. Ionescu has always looked up to Kobe. And the Black Mamba’s better half is ensuring that her belief stays as strong as her skills.

Ionescu had to lately go through a difficult time without the support and guidance of her mentor. Although Kobe Bryant is no longer there with her, Sabrina knows she can always count on Vanessa’s support through thick and thin. The recent gifts only solidified this bond.

An early Christmas present

Billboards featuring the “That’s Mamba” campaign have been spotted all over New York City. The campaign’s first clue was another famous photo of Kobe Bryant from the 2008 Olympics, where he put his finger to his lips to silence the audience during the Redeem Team’s victory. Nike has based its entire marketing campaign around this iconic image. The strategy is focused on the release of a single shoe, the Kobe Bryant line, which has already benefited NBA luminaries through the relaunch of some classic favorites.

However, the upcoming release of the Nike Kobe 4 Proto, also known as the “Black Mamba,” has the potential to be the line’s most successful release yet if marketed correctly. One of the most recent coveted owners of this shoe is Sabrina Ionescu, as Vanessa Bryant gifted her the Kobe classic.

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The Liberty star took to Instagram, to write, “Christmas comes early. Thank you, Vanessa Bryant, @mambamambacitafoundation.”

Sabrina Ionescu with a legacy of her own

Though Kobe Classics has made the Christmas of the Liberty star, she already has her signature shoe line to take pride in. Just 12 WNBA players have trademark shoes, including Ionescu. She introduced her trademark sneakers, the “Sabrina 1s,” earlier this year. These are Nike’s first unisex footwear. This explains why several NBA players have adopted the sneakers.

When Ionescu threw out the ceremonial first pitch during a Subway Series at Yankee Stadium, Nike made sure she stood out by designing a set of Sabrina 1 spikes just for her. However, it’s more than simply a shoe; it has additional depth.

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Notably, the design fully incorporates female and male sportsmen, blurring the boundaries between them and paying tribute to gender equality in sports.