Vanessa Bryant accused by psychologist of not using Kobe Bryant's $600,000,000 fortune for black community
It appears that not all people are in favor of how Kobe Bryant's widow, Vanessa Bryant, is spending her money after her husband's passing in January 2020.
In an episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, Dr. Umar Johnson, a psychologist and social media personality, accused Vanessa Bryant of not using her late husband's money to help the Black community.
"Vanessa inherited his wealth. Is she using any of that money to do good to the Black community? Absolutely not. Vanessa Bryant just started an initiative with three predominantly white colleges. Some kind of a sports initiative with Kobe's money and Kobe's name," Dr. Umar said, via The Art of Dialogue.
According to Forbes, Kobe Bryant's net worth, at the time of his death, was $600 million. This fortune was created from his career earnings, endorsement deals and investments off the court following his retirement from the NBA in 2016.
Vanessa Bryant shares message on social media to promote Kobe Bryant's signature shoe re-launch
Vanessa Bryant and shoe brand Nike are proceeding with the re-launch of some Kobe Bryant signature shoes which are expected to be released in the coming months.
Bryant's widow took to social media to promote the re-launch, sharing a heartfelt message with her followers:
"A legacy not left up to fate, but meticulously crafted through dedication and hard work That’s Mamba," she wrote.
Kobe Bryant was one of the megastars who had a shoe signature deal with Nike and it makes sense for the company to re-launch some of his signature shoes, given how popular the NBA legend was, and continues to be even after his death.
In the video, Nike uses the words 'Fearless', 'Relentless', 'Passion', 'Obsession', and 'Resilience' to describe who Kobe Bryant was on the floor and how he created the 'Mamba Mentality'.
The Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation was created back in 2018 to help underprivileged boys and girls as well as athletes to have a chance to take part in sports whether this was at school or at a league level. This non-profit organization aims to help young people have a better chance of fulfilling their dreams. Its initial purpose was to help the community in both a social (partnering with other foundations) and a sports level (hosting training camps for young athletes in various sports)
Kobe Bryant was part of several charity organizations during and after his career. Some of them were The Make-A-Wish, Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation, the After School All-Stars and more. During his time with the Lakers, he attended charity events to help the community, especially those in need.