When the Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel is lighted up in honor of the late Kobe Bryant on Thursday night, one Southern California icon will pay respect to another.
In honor of Kobe Bryant Day, the jersey numbers 8 and 24 of the Laker superstar will be lit up in purple and gold.
The date of 8/24, sometimes referred to by supporters as Black Mamba Day or simply Mamba Day, was selected because it matched Bryant’s numbers and was the day following his birthday. On Wednesday, Bryant would have turned 45.
The Nike Kobe 8 Protro “Halo” sneaker made its debut to commemorate the occasion. The business claimed that it collaborated with Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, who came up with the sneaker’s design.
According to a press release from Pacific Park in Santa Monica, visitors can watch the Ferris wheel lights from dusk until 11:35 p.m.
In the statement, it was stated that “The Black Mamba,” as he was fondly referred to, “left an indelible mark on the sport & the hearts of millions of fans.” We pay tribute to Kobe Bryant’s legacy on this particular day by recalling three of his outstanding and enduring performances over the course of his long career.
The show will honor Bryant’s 81-point effort in January 2006, his heroics in Game 4 of the 2000 NBA Finals, and his outstanding display in his final NBA game in April 2016.
The helicopter that Bryant and his seven companions were riding in crashed into hills in Calabasas on January 26, 2020. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, was en route to a youth basketball game with his daughter Gianna, 13, and six other people. He was 41.