Following their first homestand in Toronto since 2019, the Blue Jays are currently on a west coast road trip to take on the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners.
And as the Jays prepare to take on the Angels first for their 4-game series, All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. prepared for the trip in a bit of a different yet incredible way.
Commissioning out two pairs of custom cleats, Vladdy Jr. is paying tribute to the late Kobe and Gianna Bryant. New Jersey-based artist Michael Jordan shared the photos of the hand-painted cleats online prior to the Jays' first game of their series against the Angels, showcasing two incredible pieces of artwork that the slugger plans to give to Vanessa Bryant.
Commissioned back in June, Vladdy had been hoping to honour the two for quite some time, as the first pair showcased Kobe on one cleat, with his iconic No. 8 and 24 spread down the foot. On the other cleat is Gigi with her No. 2 trailed along the side. Both cleats read “Mamba” and “Mambacita”.
The other pair is a deep purple colour, honouring the deep connection the father-daughter duo shared. One cleat features Kobe and Gianna celebrating the 2009 NBA Finals while the other showcases the two sitting courtside at a Lakers game.
In addition, one of the lyrics of Beyonce’s song XO, which she sang at their memorial service back in 2020, appears along the front toes reading “your love is bright as ever.”
The purple pair is the pair that Vladdy will be gifting to Vanessa after the series.
