Amalia Holguin, the final member of the original “Mamba girls” from Gianna Bryant’s basketball team, has committed to play at the University of Texas.

This team was coached by Kobe Bryant and represented his and Gianna’s legacy in youth basketball before their tragic deaths in a 2020 helicopter crash.

Holguin announced her commitment on Instagram, posing in a burnt orange-and-white cowboy hat while making the Longhorns’ “Hook ’em Horns” gesture.

“100% COMMITTED,” Holguin captioned her post.

The announcement drew widespread praise from fans, celebrating her achievement and the enduring Mamba spirit. You’ve gotta love the picture of her in the cowboy hat.

Kobe Bryant’s legacy lives On

Holguin joins her former Mamba teammates who have committed to colleges like Princeton, Dartmouth, and the University of Chicago, keeping alive the dream of empowering women in basketball.

Just as Kobe and Gianna Bryant envisioned.

Bryant tragically perished in a helicopter crash on the outskirts of Los Angeles in 2020. Eight others – including his 13-year-old daughter – died that day.

Gigi, also known as Mambacita, played on the youth girls’ basketball team, which her father coached at the Mamba Sports Academy. The goal of that squad? Empowering girls in sports and embodying Kobe’s “Mamba Mentality” of hard work and excellence.

Now, Holguin’s hard work and excellence have led her to Texas.

READ MORE: Shaq Tells Hilarious Story About Trying To Haze Rookie Kobe Bryant

Shines on Mamba Day

Amalia Holguin is the last of a talented group of girls who were coached by the late Kobe Bryant and played as teammates with Gigi.

The Kobe protégé put on a clinic over the summer, dropping 24 points in a game on what was dubbed Mamba Day. Just look at this turnaround fadeaway jumper.

Kobe’s protégé Amalia Holgun dropped 24 points on Mamba Day! 🐍💜💛 A former teammate of Gigi Bryant, Amalia was coached and mentored by Kobe himself! pic.twitter.com/G1zfdZ3hXm

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 25, 2025

Kobe Bryant won five championships and earned two Finals MVP awards across his 20-year career. That career was marked by a relentless work ethic known as the “Mamba Mentality.”

Bryant secured one regular-season MVP award, 18 All-Star selections, and ranks fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 33,643 points. That point total is highlighted by an 81-point game in 2006, the second-highest single-game total ever.

Beyond basketball, Bryant’s influence grew through his Oscar-winning short film Dear Basketball and his advocacy for women’s sports. He left a lasting legacy until he and his daughter Gianna tragically perished.

Their legacy, though, will live on. Good luck, Amalia!

Rusty Weiss is a lifelong NFL and MLB fan (Cowboys/Dodgers) and sometimes fan of college basketball (Xavier). Rusty is ... More about Rusty Weiss