Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa hypes up Bryce James, Aaliyah Chavez and more ahead of Mamba League kick off
The late Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa had a notable impact on the second annual Mamba League in Los Angeles last week. Beginning on Aug. 23, the league showcased Aaliyah Chavez, Bryce James and other top high school talents in the nation.
Now, nearly a week later to the league's commencement, Vanessa Bryant posted a mixtape from the two-day event, highlighting players like James, Chavez, Jerzy Robinson, Tatianna Griffin, Carrington Davis and other notable talents.
The mixtape was originally posted by Nike LA as the sporting brand organized the invite-only event. A total of 100 best men and women high schoolers from the nation earned the ticket to play in the coveted tournament.
The pool games began on Bryant's birthday and transitioned to Kobe Bryant Day (Aug. 24), a day that represents the Lakers legend's jersey numbers (24 and 8). It featured the qualification and championship games within both men's and women's segments.
Notable names like Lakers' general manager Rob Pelinka, Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young, WNBA's Candace Parker, Cali's own JuJu Watkins and others were also present at the event.
Aaliyah Chavez dominated the women's tourney, cruising through the finals win and the MVP trophy. She is the top player in the class of 2025 and also led production in the Nike Nationals.
For the men's side, Atlanta native Caleb Wilson won the Most Valuable Player award. He is a five-star prospect ranked at No. 4 on the 247Sports Composite list and harbors more than 25 offers from Division I programs.
Vanessa and her daughters debut new Kobe Bryant sneakers
As part of nationwide celebrations of Kobe Bryant’s legacy, Nike restocked several of Mamba’s sneakers. Moreover, the brand also spearheaded multiple events around these kicks throughout LA.
However, the biggest revelation of them all was the Kobe-themed sneakers debuted by Vanessa Bryant and her daughters Capri, Bianka and Natalia. Vanessa donned an unseen Nike Air Force 1 Low named “Queen Mamba,” which features a snakeskin-like texture. Bianka and Capri wore the same sneaker with a Lakers’ colorway and Kobe’s sheath logo pattern.
While the Bryant family did not announce whether the sneakers will be available for fans, they did share that a new Kobe-inspired Air Force 1s are in motion. Moreover, they also awarded the Mamba League MVPs a year's worth of Kobe Bryant sneakers.