The Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel shines in purple and gold on Wednesday, August 24, in honor of Kobe Bryant’s legacy in the City of Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant Day (also known as Black Mamba Day or Mamba Day) is being celebrated on August 24 in Los Angeles to commemorate the life of Laker legend, Kobe Bryant. Back in 2016, the date (8/24) was chosen as the holiday because of Bryant’s numbers on his jerseys, 8 and 24, as well as it is the day after his birthday, August 23. He would have been 44 years old. Kobe started his career in the NBA at 17 years old and spent 20 years of his basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2018, Kobe Bryant launched the foundation “Mamba Sports Foundation” now called the “Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation,” which is dedicated to creating a positive impact for underserved athletes and boys & girls in sports. The vision of the non-profit was to create a world where young boys & girls had an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams through sports and life. Pacific Park will join other LA area landmarks in lighting purple and gold for the evening for the Los Angeles icon that was taken too soon.