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Kobe Bryant's widow, Vanessa Bryant, gifted Bronny James and the USC Trojans men's and women's basketball teams with the unreleased "Reverse Grinch" Kobe 6s. The $180 per pair of shoes is scheduled for release later this year, but Christmas came early for the Trojans.
In the video below, the men's and women's teams received their pairs of "Reverse Grinch" Kobe 6s ahead of their opening game on Monday night. The USC men's beat Kansas State 82-69. Some of the players wore the free shoes.
Here's a video of some of the men's team players receiving the shoes:
Boogie Ellis led the way for the Trojans with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Bronny James did not play, as he was not cleared after suffering a cardiac arrest a few months ago. He was with the team during warmups and on the sidelines, though.
Meanwhile, the women's team was seen wearing the "Reverse Grinch" Kobe 6s in their 83-74 win over Ohio State. The double win meant that the Trojans swept the Naismith Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas.
Here's an image of USC women's star freshman JuJu Watkins wearing the shoes against Ohio State. Watkins had 32 points, six rebounds and five assists in her first game for the Trojans.
According to Sneaker News, the "Reverse Grinch" Kobe 6s is one of the most anticipated shoes later this year.
It's due to release on Dec. 16, but the USC Trojans had first access to them courtesy of Vanessa Bryant, who signed a contract with Nike in 2021 on behalf of her late husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter, Gigi Bryant.
USC also shares a special place in Vanessa's heart, as her eldest daughter Natalia is studying film there. Natalia nearly joined the Trojans women's volleyball team back as a freshman.
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Latest update on Bronny James' health
As mentioned above, Bronny James was on the sidelines in USC's 82-69 win over Kansas State. The 19-year-old prospect is awaiting clearance before he can make his debut for the Trojans.
LeBron James told reporters following the LA Lakers' 108-107 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday that his son remains in rehab and continues to improve every week.
"Things are going in the right direction with Bronny's progress," James said. "He's doing rehab. Every week, he gets to do more and more and more. We have a big moment at the end of this month to see if we can continue to go forward.
"If he's cleared, we'll be not too long away from him being back on the floor and back with his teammates and practicing, with the notion of being back on the floor and playing in game situations."
