“Kobe Bryant , you suck!”: One of the most iconic Nike commercials of all-time centred around the league wide hatred for the Black Mamba

Jeet Pukhrambam | 09/04/2022
"Kobe Bryant , you suck!": One of the most iconic Nike commercials of all-time centred around the league wide hatred for the Black Mamba

Kobe Bryant was one of the most hated players in the NBA. So before his retirement, Nike decided to embrace the hate brilliantly. 

There are very few players in the game of basketball that can ignite love and hatred at the same time. If you like them and root for them, your love will know no bounds. If they demolished your favorite player and team, your searing hatred for them will be unbridled.

Kobe Bryant was arguably one of the best ever to touch a basketball. He also fits this exact mold of a player; the type that can be loved and hated.

During his tenure, Los Angeles Lakers fans worshipped Kobe, however, rival fans could not bear the sight of him.

Also read: “Kobe Bryant told me to sacrifice what I wanted when dieting and working out”: Devin Booker cut fast-food out of his diet at the Lakers legend’s behest

Kobe Bryant is the conductor in a Nike commercial

Nike loves to use athletes in creative commercial setups. They have set the benchmark for creative adverts and they have been doing this for years.

Naturally, for his final year, Nike decided to do something completely out of the left field. In the commercial, you can see Kobe do his thing and demoralize a team with a tough shot.

What follows is Kobe deciding to not just hear the haters out but orchestrate their hate. The hilarious commercial features former coach Phil Jackson on piano accompanied by Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.

There are also cameos from ‘haters’ and rivals Paul Pierce and Rasheed Wallace. While rival teams’ fans may have harbored hate for Kobe for years, 2016 was when all was forgiven.

As we look back at his life, we will also look back at some of his most iconic commercials that glorify his life and career.

Also read: “How Vanessa Bryant caused a rift between Kobe Bryant and his dad”: The story behind the infamous picture of the Lakers legend sulking with the Larry O’Brien trophy

Post Edited By: Jeet Pukhrambam
Black Mamba Kobe Bryant Lakers Los Angeles Lakers NBA Nike paul pierce rasheed wallace

About the author

Jeet Pukhrambam

Jeet Pukhrambam is The SportsRush's Lead Editor for Basketball. After freelancing for five years as an independent writer, Jeet created thousands of blog posts and articles. He now covers intriguing news reports and throwback stories on all things NBA. His interest in NBA started with the ascendancy of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2016-17 season. Since then, Jeet has managed to coalesce his knowledge of the game and his writing to create pieces that are reflective of the current state of the league. Now, he ensures that The SportsRush produces the highest quality of writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, cooking, traveling, and dancing to techno. Jeet takes pride in his critical thinking, music playlists, and his love for spaghetti.

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