Vanessa Bryant, the wife of the Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe, has been accused of favouring white people over black people by a prominent internet personality.
Kobe, who was black, died in 2020 after a helicopter crashed whilst attempting to fly in poor conditions leading to the deaths of nine including his daughter, Gianna. As a result, his wealth, including a USD 600m estate, passed to his wife.
Shortly after she announced a scheme to help young people in their academic and athletic careers, she came under fire by Dr Umar Johnson, who often speaks on issues facing black people in the United States, during which he said she’s favouring white people.
“Vanessa inherited his wealth,” Johnson, a psychologist, said to The Joe Budden Podcast. “Is she using any of that moneyVanessa Bryant accused of racism by not offering Kobe’s $600m estate to the black community to do good to the black community? Absolutely not.
“Vanessa Bryant just started an initiative with three predominantly white colleges. Some kind of a sports initiative with Kobe’s money and Kobe’s name.”
Vanessa and Nike bring back Kobe’s shoes
Part of Kobe’s massive fortune was earned outside of the actual sport of basketball as he became a brand ambassador for Nike and one of the first megastars to sign a shoe deal with the firm.
So, on almost the fourth anniversary of his death, the company and his wife have announced they will re-launch some of the signature lines made famous by the sports legend who won five NBA rings.
“A legacy not left up to fate,” Bryant said on Instagram. “But meticulously crafted through dedication and hard work? That’s Mamba.”
During a promotional video, Nike chooses several words to describe the shooting guard’s personality, ethos and approach to his NBA career.
“‘Fearless’, Relentless’, ‘Passion’, ‘Obsession’, and ‘Resilience'”, said the apparel company as they explained how he formulated and developed his “Mamba Mentality” image.
