South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley went on social media to pay tribute to the late Kobe Bryant. Despite Bryant’s passing, Staley has remained close to his family.
While she had Bryant in her mind when posting the image, Staley also thanked Vanessa for connecting her with the collection. Vanessa has also established a close connection with Staley due to her husband’s deep bond with her.
Kobe Bryant’s Wife Hooks Up Dawn Staley With Nike Kobe Collection
Staley is fortunate to still be linked up with the Bryant family, particularly Vanessa. The NBA legend’s wife has kept in touch with Staley to continue her husband’s legacy for women’s basketball.
“Just thinking about Kobe Bean Bryant @kobebryant today…..and thankful for Vanessa Bryant who is keeping their untouchable legacy top tier! #salute,” Staley wrote on X.
Just thinking about Kobe Bean Bryant @kobebryant today…..and thankful for Vanessa Bryant who is keeping their untouchable legacy top tier! #salute pic.twitter.com/fF545zsoY9
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) November 2, 2025
Looking at the photo Staley posted, she had 17 pairs in her collection. To add the cherry on top, everything was given to her by Vanessa.
Staley and Bryant go way back. After Bryant retired from the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers legend turned his attention to helping his second-oldest daughter, Gigi Bryant, hone her basketball prowess.
Since then, Bryant has fully supported women’s basketball in the United States and collaborated with Staley to help grow the community. However, due to the tragic passing of both Kobe and Gigi in 2020, the NBA legend wasn’t able to fulfill his vision for women’s basketball.
Thankfully, Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, continued her husband and daughter’s legacy and has done her part to support the growth of women’s basketball. Vanessa also collaborated with Staley and has even given the head coach a plethora of gifts as a token of appreciation for partnering up with her husband back then.
Vanessa Bryant Mimics Iconic NBA Finals Statement in Recent Instagram Post
Vanessa Bryant went on social media to pay tribute to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers pulled off an epic comeback and achieved their second consecutive World Series title. With Los Angeles being a city of champions once again, Vanessa couldn’t help but show her support on Instagram.
Vanessa uploaded an image of her two daughters, Bianka and Capri, wearing the baseball jersey of Enrique Hernández. While Hernández is one of the best players on the Dodgers roster, his jersey No. 8 is also a slight nod to Bryant’s basketball jersey with the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s. The two daughters also stood on a World Series platform, designed for fans to take photos in. The caption reads:
“Amazing Series!! Both teams were tough. Congrats @dodgers 💙 #JobsFinished 💪🏽 #8 #LoveLA 💙⚾️”
Vanessa used the hashtag “JobsFinished,” which is a nod to Kobe’s “job’s not finished” statement in the 2009 NBA Finals. Despite Kobe’s absence in the Bryant family’s lives, Vanessa continues to carry on with her husband’s legacy as she consistently tries to support City of Angels in any way she can.