Kobe Bryant paid a whopping $8 million out of pocket to get out of the Adidas contract to join LeBron James at Nike

Kobe Bryant was with Adidas since he entered the league – he severed a long relationship rather cold-bloodedly.

in 2002, the deal between Kobe Bryant and Adidas turned sour – they no longer were in business. For one year, Bean was a Sneaker free agent and wore all the sneakers he wanted under the sun. To do that, Kobe had to pay a whopping 8 million dollars out of his pocket to exit early.

But come 2003, Nike had a phenomenal year, signing Kobe, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. They may have lost Michael Jordan for a final time but got three future Hall of Famers instead. Bron and Melo were two of the best young athletes of the class, and Kobe was a proven superstar with a pull just like MJ.

The first 2 years were in turmoil, with him being embroiled in controversy, but once that was cleared, he showed his true colours. The 2005-06 season was his best scoring season, all in the Kobe 1s. From then on, he never stopped making good shoes. The 8 million he paid out of his pocket was well justified.

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It was one move that Nike made was genius – Kobe Bryant is the highest-selling name among all the NBA players

Kobe Bryant had the best shoes when it comes to basketball – he took care of his shoes so much and the technology that went in. This is the same guy who shaved his soles down because they were a couple of millimetres thicker than usual. The Kobe line has been the sleekest, and with the best traction pattern in the game.

When Jordan retired in 2003, Kobe was the right man for the job. Since then, The Black Mambas shoes have been one of the best-designed sneakers, and just last year, 81 players in the league were wearing Kobes. He may have spent the 2002-3 season wearing out all other brands, but decided to go with the American sportswear brand.

Nike may have lost Magic Johnson in the early 80s, but they were not letting another Laker icon go so easy. They fought off Adidas and Reebok to snag him. The partnership ended 18 years after his passing in 2021, but after backlash from the fans, his estate decided to renew the deal. A hoorah of sorts for all the Mamba fans in the world!
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