The impact of Kobe Bryant on basketball has left a lasting mark on the supporters of the sport. His influence has transcended generations, so much so that even nearly a decade after his retirement, the NBA fans still desire to feel his greatness. One such instance occurred recently as they demanded more of his merchandise in stores, citing problems with the SNKRS app.
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A Kobe devotee expressed his feelings surrounding this on X (formerly Twitter) and even requested the icon’s widowed wife, Vanessa Bryant to make it happen. “Vanessa Bryant for the love of God and all Kobe fans. Can we please get merch in stores? These drops on this SNKRS app make it impossible for us real fans to get anything,” the fan posted publicly.
The criticism surrounding Nike’s app caught the eyes of the NBA community as it summarized the major issues the fanbase faced. Alongside the availability, the accessibility of the merch from the app could have come across as a big problem for the supporters in the past. Thus, for seasoned sneakers enthusiasts, watching their favorite star’s merch in stores could fill them up with renewed excitement.
So, a few more supporters joined in to voice the same. One fan of the Los Angeles Lakers great conveyed similar thoughts in comments. She mentioned, “Vanessa Bryant, we hear you! Let’s bring Kobe merch to stores for real fans. SNKRS app can be tough, but everyone deserves a chance”.
Another reiterated the same dialogue in his way, stating, “Absolutely! Vanessa Bryant, we urge for wider merch availability. SNKRS app drops can be challenging for devoted fans. Let’s make Kobe’s gear more accessible in stores!”.
One supporter, in particular, pointed toward the older days as he highlighted a few instances from a couple of years ago. The nostalgic follower commented, “It would be nice to walk into the Nike outlets and pick up Kobe shoes and jerseys again just like how it was before January 2020”.
Amidst the supporters’ concern, Nike has reasons for keeping the sales entirely app-focused. Alongside scaling the line of merch, this method majorly benefited the NBA living outside of the USA. It has helped maintain the popularity of Kobe’s personal brand more than three years since his passing. Thus, the suggestion could take an ample amount of time to get implemented despite the visible support for it.
That said, essentially asking fans to win the chance to buy Kobe Bryant merchandise in a lottery-esque system (SNKRS drops) was never going to be a very good idea. The system almost feels a little bit unfair. In comparison, having the merchandise in-store only seems like a win-win for everyone. Not only do fans get to buy Bryant’s merch without having to be selected, but the profits for Vanessa Bryant and her family only grow. Really, the fact that the fans’ thoughts weren’t tended to from the very beginning just seems like a massive missed opportunity.
Why did the Kobe Bryant fans unite to showcase their frustration on this day?
Nike recently dropped their Kobe 4 Protro ‘Black Mamba’ sneakers following its immense hype in the last few days. The organization’s marketing campaign for the release, ‘That’s Mamba’, became widely successful as sparked interest amongst the audience. This was actually the third release of the shoe line, following the Kobe 8 Protro ‘Halo’ in August and the Kobe 6 Protro ‘Reverse Grinch’ in mid-December.
Despite the demand, all the versions were only made available on the SNKRS app. So, the suggestions regarding moving to a mixed model of app and store sounded more than reasonable reasonable. It allows the long-time followers of the 5x champion to witness the merch before purchasing, along with having the chance to purchase them at all. That’s why they united to beg Vanessa to make it happen expressing their sustained issues with the app-based sales model.
However, it remains unclear whether a change in sales strategy will take place or not. As both sides have their set of reasons behind the actions, reaching a conclusion might take more time. With Nike and the Bryant family spearheading the operations, it would be interesting to see what steps they take next to popularize the brand.
