Kentucky's exclusive Kobe sneakers are here (and they're beautiful)

What happens when you get hand-selected by Vanessa Bryant as a Mamba Program — the first and just one of six schools ultimately chosen? You get exclusive Kobe gear.

That’s the case for the Kentucky Wildcats, who received their shipment of blue and white Kobe 8 sneakers this week, highlighted by a UK logo on the tongue. The basketball program shared images of its early Christmas presents on social media.

And let me tell you, they’re beautiful.

Freshman guard Rob Dillingham is clearly a fan, sharing a look at his own personal pair on his Instagram Story.

The emoji says it all.

KSR broke the news back in August that Kentucky had been hand-picked as a Mamba Program by the wife of the late Kobe Bryant in a partnership with Nike — a process over a year in the making. The partnership includes Kobe sneakers and apparel this season, along with the possibility of special uniforms featuring the Mamba logo in the future.

“I had the pleasure of knowing Kobe Bryant and he was everything that people said he was – a brilliant, curious mind who was relentlessly competitive and found greatness on every path he traveled,” John Calipari said at the time of the announcement. “He was also someone with an incredible sense of humor and power to command the room. I’ll never forget walking into the Lakers training room a few years ago after a game in LA and saying hello to Kobe. He spoke up to the entire room and said, ‘You know, this guy would still be in the NBA if he’d drafted me.’ It was funny. And probably true. LOL.

Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning

By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.

“Each year, as we try to build our team to chase greatness and be their best version, the things we try to teach them run parallel to what Kobe called “Mamba Mentality”. His five pillars – Resilience, Fearlessness, Obsessiveness, Relentlessness, Passion – are at the core of what it takes to be great and reflect the very things that made Kobe so special.

“We are honored to continue to partner with the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation to honor the legacy of Kobe and Gigi.”

Duke, LSU, UConn, USC and Oregon were later announced as the next run of Mamba schools.

“We are grateful for the amazing support of these prestigious universities…to further the legacies of Kobe and Gigi,” Vanessa Bryant said. “So excited to see their players wearing Kobe and Gigi’s NIKE shoes this upcoming season!!”

Can’t ask for a better start to the partnership.