Kobe may have modeled his game after Jordan, but he never followed in the GOAT’s footsteps by attempting a career in the Major Leagues. Still, Kobe’s influence has gone way beyond the hardwood and filtered into sports and competition of all kinds, and these upcoming Mamba Basketball Jerseys look to celebrate the fallen icon’s final NBA game while nodding to the new MLB season later this Spring.
A first look at two upcoming baseball jerseys have surfaced, in black and white options. Both feature a Mamba script lettering across the chest in a typeface similar to that of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Beneath that is the Kobe sheath logo.
The jerseys also commemorate both of Kobe’s uniform numbers; the early-era 8 is embroidered on the sleeve, while the later 24 appears on the back in a larger format. Finally, a message is stitched on the bottom right, reading “Thank You Kobe”, a call-out to his final NBA Game on April 13th, 2016, and his final words to the Lakers home crowd.
Although not visible in the official images, the jersey has flannel lining on the interior. This detail is inspired by the iconic photo of Kobe wearing flannel pajama pants and shooting free-throws one-handed while nursing a broken hand.
A release date has been confirmed for February 13th, 2025; each jersey will retail for $150. Get them HERE.
Staying on the topic of the Black Mamba and basetball, the Kobe 6 “Dodgers” is set to drop on Mamba Day (April 13th) as well.
