Now that's the Mamba Mentality!
Vanessa de Jesus seems to love the color blue. She keeps wearing the hue. And even if she can't play a few, there's no reason for her to feel blue. 'Cause she got something new, and yes, it's a Kobe Bryant shoe.
The dynamic Gilas Pilipinas guard is channeling her Mamba Mentality as she continues her recovery from a knee injury sustained during practice after the FIBA Women's Asia Cup last June.
But she's not feeling down about the setback, even though it has effectively taken her out of the 2023-24 season with the Duke Blue Devils.
"Sometimes, it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination," de Jesus posted on Instagram.
Okay, that's actually a Drake quote from his high school graduation speech.
But VDJ still got the respect of her Blue Devils teammates. Except for the fact that she wore socks to an ice bath in the tub.
"It’s cold 😂," she explained.
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But the Kobe connection still stands. She got some sweet Kobe kicks, sharing the unboxing on her Instagram Story on Monday.
And yes, the colorway is blue and white. Perfect for her Gilas Pilipinas Women and Duke uniforms. BTW, she is the first-ever Asian in Duke's women's basketball program.
The 21-year-old de Jesus, who's based in California, has always been inspired by the late Los Angeles Lakers legend and his daughter Gigi, having met them during a camp.
It's only fitting that de Jesus would have Kobe kicks to help her walk the road to recovery.
Hope to see you play soon, Vanessa!
(PM)