Spencer Dinwiddie Unveils Sneaker to Raise Money for Kobe, Gianna Bryant Charity
Brooklyn Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie announced Thursday his Mark II signature shoe will release Saturday honoring Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant, who were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash last week in Calabasas, California.
Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes noted proceeds from the first nine days of the sneaker's sales will be donated to the MambaOnThree Fund, started by the Mamba Sports Foundation to help families of the crash victims.
Dinwiddie previously changed his jersey from No. 8, which Bryant wore during his time with the Lakers, to No. 26 to honor the five-time NBA champion's legacy. He was one of several players to change from one of Bryant's numbers (No. 24 being the other) in an unofficial jersey retirement act.
The 26-year-old Los Angeles native also spoke about the importance of talking with the longtime NBA superstar before his death:
Dinwiddie has taken pride in creating his own shoes ever since failing to land a high-profile endorsement contract early in his career.
"I wanted to push the limits of performance," he told ESPN's Nick DePaula in October. "I've always loved shoes in general, and then I always love trying to boost my performance in whatever way possible. With basketball being my passion, the most critical piece of equipment we have is shoes ... so I wanted to make a performance statement with it."
