UConn and USC Women’s Basketball Dedicated Their Game to Kobe

The UConn and USC women’s basketball teams faced off in Los Angeles on December 13th, and the entire game was dedicated to The Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant. Linking the two schools between Kobe’s love for women’s basketball, his daughter Gigi’s plans to attend UConn, and his ties to LA and its local universities, Nike went all out for the #1 vs #16 showdown.

For the first time in men’s or women’s NCAA basketball history, every player on both teams wore a different pair of Nike Kobe sneakers, matching the Kobe installation added to the concourse at USC’s Galen Center stadium. In addition to the Kobe sneakers, both teams were seeded pairs of the new Nike Mind 001 to help launch the mentally stimulating slides.

When it comes to specific pairs on individual players, standouts include UConn stars Kamorea “KK” Arnold, who wore the Mambacita Kobe 8 Protros, and Azzi Fudd, who had the Kobe 5 Protro Year of the Mamba - University Red on feet. Even USC’s Juju Watkins, who is still sidelined with an injury, got in on the action. She requested a pair of all-white Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1s to wear on the bench.

If you’re a Kobe fan, we hope you made it out to USC campus just to see the museum-worthy collections of Kobe shoes hitting the court at the same time. Of course, with two storied programs at the top of their game, they weren’t easy tickets to come by. Good thing it was a nationally televised game. For all the latest Nike Kobe news, remember to tap in with us at the Sole Retriever mobile app, and check below for a slideshow of all the shoes worn by USC and UConn players

Zach Harris

Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com