Vanessa Bryant announced the release of a new book that will honor the legacies of her late husband, Kobe, and daughter, Gianna (Gigi), as first reported by PEOPLE.
The book, titled "Mamba and Mambacita Forever," will be released Aug. 19 during Mamba Week, which was started by Nike in 2020 and takes place the week of Kobe's Aug. 23 birthday.
Written by Vanessa Bryant with photographs by Andy Bernstein, the book will honor Kobe and Gigi, who died in a helicopter accident Jan. 26, 2020, along with all seven others onboard.
Bernstein previously collaborated with Kobe for his 2018 autobiographical book, "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play."
The stories in the new book will be about the more than 100 public murals in Los Angeles and around the world, dedicated to Kobe and Gigi.
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"'Mamba & Mambacita Forever' ensures that the murals of Kobe and Gianna Bryant will live on even after the most monumental murals themselves have all crumbled," said a press release about the forthcoming book.
“Taken together, what emerges is the story of a man who became even more than he himself could have imagined, an avatar of determination, discipline and competitiveness. He was also a worldwide icon, one of the greatest athletes of our time, a man committed to his family and to fatherhood,” the release continues.
The Mamba Sports Foundation's name was changed to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation by Vanessa following the tragic deaths of her husband and daughter, and the name serves as the inspiration for the book title.
Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct.