Mamba Day 2023 - Lakers and more celebrate Kobe's legacy

Mamba Day 2023 is here, and several celebrations are in place to celebrate the late Kobe Bryant.

Aug. 24, often stylized as 8/24, is the day after his birthday and matches the numbers he wore with the Los Angeles Lakers. To commemorate the back-to-back days, Nike debuted the Nike Kobe 8 Protro "Halo" sneakers on what would have been his 45th birthday. It is the first sneaker in Bryant's line since his death in January 2020.

According to a news release, Nike Basketball partnered with his widow, Vanessa Bryant on the Halo concept, an annual release that will honor and celebrate the special date.

Last week, Vanessa and their eldest daughter Natalia revealed their new Mamba Day collection featuring an all-white sweatshirt-and-shorts set. The embroidered Mamba logo matches the triple-white colorway on the shoes, which also include embroidery on the swoosh and Mamba logos.

Mamba Day celebrations were widespread to honor theHall of Famer:

LA Love

The Lakers provided new parents with No. 24 shirts, and newborns received blankets and beanie hats with the No. 8 on them. It is a similar gift package to what the team provided atUCLA Mattel Children's Hospital last year.

Read more:Lakers send gifts to babies born on Kobe Bryant's birthday

The ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier will be lit with purple and gold messages to recognize the day.

TheLos Angeles Dodgersare on the road facing the Cleveland Guardiansfor Mamba Day, but the team announced plans to acknowledge Bryant upon returning from their road trip.

Read more: Dodgers to give away Kobe Bryant-themed jerseys

Vanessa Bryant announced on the Lakers' social media accounts that a statue of him would be unveiled outside Crypto.com Arena, the "house that Kobe built," on Feb. 8, 2024.

The sports world remembers

Tributes to the Black Mamba poured in on social media, celebrating Bryant's life and legacy.