The Prep Stars Showed out at Mamba League Invitational 2025
Anwar Stetson
The best prep hoopers from around the nation showed up and showed out at the third annual Mamba League Invitational tournament in Los Angeles over the weekend.
The event is a culmination of the greater weekend celebration in the city of L.A., honoring the late Kobe Bryant’s birthday, August 23, and “Mamba Day” on August 24 (after the hall-of-famer’s two career jersey numbers, “8” and “24”).
Bryant’s wife Vanessa was in attendance at the star-studded weekend and helped debut her own version of the Kobe Protro 3 sneaker at the championship game on Sunday. The winners of the game were even gifted Kobe-branded Nike sneakers for a full year, per Sole Retriever.
Mamba League embraces “Mamba mentality”, the fiercely competitive nature of the Lakers legend. Just steps away from his moving memorial statue featuring late daughter Gianna, these high school stars showcased the best of Mamba Mentality on the sunny outdoor court at L.A. Live.
Aaliah Spaight
If you’ve been following Prep Network, you know there aren’t enough superlatives we can lay on Class of 2026 guard Aaliah Spaight. A small guard with a lion-sized heart, Spaight gets top billing on our list of prep superstars who showed out during the weekend. Representing team Swoosh, the 5’7” Spaight led her team to a championship victory on Sunday night and was named tournament MVP.
Vanessa Bryant presented the young star with the MVP trophy after the game. Spaight has been climbing in the girls’ hoops world. She’s currently ranked 77th in her class by ESPN, but as she continues to dazzle crowds across the country, her stock will continue to rise. It’s never too late to jump on the Aaliah bandwagon as she heads into her senior year at Bishop Gorman (Nev.).
Christian Collins
St. John Bosco (Calif.) star Christian Collins held it down for the West Coast after winning MVP for Team West at Mamba League. The 6’8” power forward is Prep Hoops’ number three-ranked player in the Class of 2026.
Prep Hoops scout Devin Ugland got a chance to see Collins live earlier this year at EYBL, writing that Collins “will likely jump up into SoCal’s top spot in the next 2026 rankings update because of the fact that his perimeter skill-set is coming along so quickly. The 6-foot-8 forward is a dribble, pass, shoot and create player who showed off some improved touch from three-point range off the catch. Collins’ ability to go by defenders off the bounce and finish at the rim is still his most viable offensive tool.”
The lengthy and athletic forward has a few offers from top schools like Alabama, Arizona, and Arizona State, but hasn’t made a commitment yet. Teams will be on the lookout for his combination of size, athleticism, and raw talent as he develops into a future star.
GG Banks
Don’t forget about another guard who had a great weekend in Los Angeles. After a stellar performance at OT Select in Atlanta, GG Banks dazzled West Coast fans on the black and gold Mamba court this past weekend.
The Prep Girls Hoops number one-ranked player in the Class of 2027, Banks will play her senior season at St. James Academy in Virginia. Read more about GG Banks and her outstanding guard play compared to Spaight at OT Select.
Tyran Stokes
Class of 2026 forward Tyran Stokes wowed crowds with his thunderous dunk.
The number one-ranked player in his class, Stokes attends Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Calif.) and is currently undeclared. Prep Hoops scout Michael Roth saw Stokes perform for the Oakland Soldiers at EYBL this summer and had high praise for the rising senior.
“Our number 1 player in the country continued to perform at a high level on the EYBL circuit for one of the top 17U teams in Oakland Soldiers. Stokes stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Stokes’ athleticism is next level as his double-clutch slam dunk was the most athletic play I saw all day. Defensively, Stokes sat down and defended, forcing the opposition into tough shots and turning them over. As a passer, Stokes had some nice moments beating the double team by hitting cutters and shooters for open looks. Nitpicking his game, I’d imagine NBA scouts are looking for Stokes to cut down on the turnovers when he’s trying to attack off the bounce.”
Stokes was a member of the gold-medal-winning Team USA U-19 squad that dominated the FIBA Basketball World Cup over the summer, on a roster that included upcoming college stars like AJ Dybantsa and Mikel Brown Jr. Stokes has had a busy summer. After helping to cement his class as one of the best Team USA squads of all time, he also made a name for himself in New York’s famous Rucker Park after winning tournament MVP at Slam Magazine’s Slam Summer Classic earlier this month.
Brandon McCoy Jr.
Another Class of 2026 standout shut down Mamba League with multiple rim-rocking jams in front of the L.A. Live crowd.
Brandon McCoy Jr., a 6’4” combo guard out of St. John Bosco (Calif.) showcased smooth, finesse finishes, as well as deafening feats of strength during the weekend. McCoy has had a busy summer. Like Stokes, McCoy Jr. was another young member of the U-19 Team USA squad that helped bring the Americans to victory in Lausanne, Switzerland, back in July, and participated in the Slam Summer Classic at Rucker Park.
The California native plays for AZ Unity in Glendale, Arizona, during AAU season. He faced off against Baba Olatodun in a classic EYBL duel this summer. This prep season, he’ll continue to shine for a Sierra Canyon (Calif.) team that looks to defend its CIF State Division I Championship.
The spectators were treated to a rare chance to see a ton of prep stars radiate under the Southern California sun for a successful Mamba League weekend. We’ll continue to follow the aforementioned players and a ton of other athletes as high schools begin to play this fall.