Michael Jordan’s Fear of Snakes Turned Kobe Bryant Into Black Mamba

We as fans are heavily invested in the characters that make the NBA arguably the greatest show on earth, following every off-court piece of drama of the stars with as much fervor as what happens on the hardwood. Kevin Durant with a burner account is more interesting than Kevin Durant without one. Victor Wembanyama training with Shaolin monks adds to his story and, needless to say, aura. That’s precisely why Michael Jordan being the original Black Mamba is a tale worth sharing.

In today’s nonstop social media news cycle, there’s little that we don’t know about our favorite players. Back in the day, though, information was harder to come by. Even someone like Jordan, probably the most famous athlete to ever exist, had his secrets. And fascinatingly, one has come out now, well over two decades after his career came to an end.

In a story published by ESPN, writer Baxter Holmes unearthed an amazing connection between Jordan and the player who modeled his game after him, Kobe Bryant. Black Mamba, the nickname and persona Kobe eventually gave himself, was originally intended for MJ and one of his versions of Air Jordan shoes.

Any NBA fan owes it to themselves to read this deep dive into the origins of the black mamba brand. Holmes interviewed many people with intimate knowledge of the inner workings of this 2002 deal. He unearthed that Nike pitched Jordan on a black mamba ad campaign for the Air Jordan 19s.

Those shoes used the new ‘Tech Flex’ technology, a laceless concept that looked just like the skin of a snake. Nike pitched the idea to Jordan, and ESPN the Magazine even ran a two-page spread ad on it. However, the campaign was short-lived for one simple reason — Jordan harbored a secret and lifelong fear of snakes.

According to the story, Kobe came up with the black mamba idea independently, with no knowledge of the Air Jordan campaign. The Lakers legend’s inspiration came after watching Kill Bill Vol. 2, when he was captivated by the deadliness and precision of the serpent. He embraced the black mamba personality, and the rest is history.

Jordan and Kobe have always been tied at the hip due to the way Kobe modeled his game, down to the moves and mannerisms, of Jordan. For his part, Jordan became a mentor to Kobe and unofficially blessed him as the heir apparent when his career wound down.

It’s been so long since Jordan and Kobe played that it feels like fans know everything there is to know about them. And to have a story like this break through so many years later is fascinating, and is such a gift.