Love or hate them, it is impossible for college sports fans to look away from the Oregon Ducks. Their gaudy uniforms and inseparable relationship with Nike make the Ducks one of the most polarizing athletic programs in the country.
Given their location and status in the sports world, it was only fitting that Oregon was one of six college basketball programs to earn the designation as a "Mamba Program." Before the season started, Nike continued to honor the legacy of Kobe Bryant by highlighting a handful of schools that best represented the legacy of the "Black Mamba."
Throughout this NCAA basketball season, the Mamba Programs have debuted unreleased and player-exclusive sneakers from Bryant's signature sneaker line. On Wednesday, Oregon's men's and women's basketball teams shared pictures of their newest kicks on social media. Check out the Instagram post below for a detailed look at the hoop shoes.
The Ducks' social media team showed off the Nike Kobe 8 Protro in four player-exclusive colorways. Each colorway kept a similar design, except for the 'Home White' version, which featured the Ducks Mascot Mark on the tongues.
According to the school website, "The Oregon Duck is one of the nation’s most beloved mascots. We use the mascot mark when we want to express pride in the UO community, let out our 'inner Duck,' and have a little fun with the brand. The mascot mark can add character to your design but should never replace the primary logo or signature."
Of course, the sneakers are limited to Oregon student-athletes and will not be released to the public. To make matters worse, many fans have still been unable to purchase Bryant's legendary sneakers at retail price since Nike relaunched the "Kobe Brand" in August. Stay locked into FanNationKicks.com for all your sneaker news from the sports world.
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