FC Barcelona player Lamine Yamal poses along with his latest jersey after signing a contract extension with the soccer club in Barcelona, northern Spain, Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish football club Barcelona is paying tribute to NBA legend Kobe Bryant with its second uniform launched Tuesday.
The five-time European champion said its latest jersey will replace the standard Nike swoosh logo “with the ‘Kobe Sheath’ — the sword within the sheath logo that identifies the Kobe Bryant brand.”
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Barcelona said the club had a special relationship with Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in Southern California in 2020. He made appearances alongside club members and first-team players during his visits to Barcelona and when the club visited the USA.
“The shorts are black with Persian violet details and a textured snakeskin outline, a reference to the Black Mamba alter ego of Kobe,” Barcelona said.
The change, made in collaboration with Nike, will last three seasons.
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“All in all, it is a component of a brand collaboration between the NBA legend and FC Barcelona that’s born out of a shared culture of sporting excellence that characterised Bryant and can be a part of FC Barcelona’s DNA,” the club said.
“This agreement goals to maintain alive that notion of brotherhood and at the identical time create a link between Kobe fans and FC Barcelona to make the worldwide impact of the American’s legacy even greater amongst the sporting community and fans.”
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