“Kobe Bryant was unhappy with Nike, wanted to start Mamba brand”: Lakers legend wanted to create brand to rival Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan

Kobe Bryant was reportedly unhappy with Nike and wanted to start a player-owned shoe company under the Mamba label.

Iranian-American venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar has brought some explosive news to light. According to him, Kobe Bryant was planning to change the sports shoe industry with a new approach:

“I met with Kobe Bryant in late December 2019. Kobe wasn’t happy with Nike and was going to leave it in 2020. Kobe was going to start Mamba, a shoe company owned by players. He passed away weeks later. What he was about to do in business was going to eclipse his sports career.”

I met with Kobe Bryant in late December 2019. Kobe wasn’t happy with Nike and was going to leave it in 2020. Kobe was going to start Mamba, a shoe company owned by players. He passed away weeks later. What he was about to do in business was going to eclipse his sports career.

— Shervin (@shervin) December 29, 2020

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Shervin Pishevar details the plan Kobe Bryant was contemplating

In the Twitter thread, the 46-year-old Shervin revealed some prospective designs for a Mamba shoe brand.

2/ These were the designs my team did to show him that day for an independent Mamba shoe company. Here’s calendar details. There were witnesses to the meeting and Kobe’s plans like Gina Ford, who manages Usain Bolt. pic.twitter.com/PgsIDt0P0E

— Shervin (@shervin) December 29, 2020

Shervin also answered why Kobe distrusted Nike and wanted to establish his own brand:

He wasn’t happy with Nike’s marketing and promotion commitment to Kobe’s line. And the sales of his shoes were anemic and he blamed Nike. He retained tight control because he didn’t trust Nike’s judgment in design.

— Shervin (@shervin) December 29, 2020

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If the great Kobe had been alive today, he could have established a change in sneaker culture forever. Being a former player himself, it is almost a given that he’d empower players to create their own designs. This would have set him up against Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan brand straightaway.

Shervin also recounts how Kobe was in full bloom and utilizing his talents to the utmost:

“It’s about the 1 year anniversary of when I met him for over 2 hours. It a made me reflect on the greatness that he exuded that day. After, he came out to my car to give me the volumes of a children’s book he wrote. He was in full bloom of the full realization of his talents.”