Kobe Bryant‘s brand has been associated with Nike for two decades after his deal with Adidas went sour in 2002. It cost Kobe $8,000,000 of his own money to sever ties with the sneaker giants for good. Even after 14 years of leaving Adidas, the Mamba was so upset with the company that when his Los Angeles Lakers teammate asked him to sign a pair of his Crazy 8 shoes, the superstar threw them in the trash.
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Adidas wanted to associate themselves with the next superstar in the league. Therefore, they decided to bet on a young Kobe Bryant. The sports apparel company signed a deal with Kobe in his rookie year in 1996 and it did wonders for the brand. However, the relationship lasted for only six years. A 23-year-old Kobe paid a whopping $8 million from his own pocket to terminate the contract as he was frustrated with their design.
The brand didn’t allow the Lakers star much of a say in the design of his own shoes. Therefore, Bryant ended his relationship with Adidas and became a sneaker free agent in 2002.
Kobe Bryant refused to sign his Adidas shoes for his teammate
During an appearance on the show – Uninterrupted, Kobe Bryant’s former teammate Nick Young shared a story of the late superstar. Young wanted to get his shoe signed by the Mamba after the very last game of the legend’s career in 2016. However, Kobe threw the shoes in the trash because they were Adidas, leaving Young dumbfounded. The Lakers icon still hated his former brand despite severing ties with them over a decade ago. Here is what Young said on the show:
“His last game, we was in the locker room after the game and I was trying to get my shoe signed. But I brought in some Adidas and he hate Adidas. I am thinking these are the Crazy 8’s, these are the Kobe’s. I am about to get some dope stuff signed. He seen them Adidas, and goes – I ain’t signing these sh*t and threw them in the trash.”
Even though his relationship with Adidas didn’t pan out as expected, Kobe had associated with Nike in 2003. His signature Nike shoes- the Kobe 4s, 5s, 6s, 8s, and 11s, are the most widely worn sneakers in the league. NBA players prefer them over most other signature lines. After his tragic death in 2020, Nike continues to release the Kobe signature lines partnering with Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant.
Relationship between Nike and the Bryant family
The relationship between the Bryant family and Nike suffered a strain after the tragic helicopter crash in January 2020, which claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. The Kobe signature shoes had become hard to find in stores. However, Vanessa Bryant recognized the demand from the fans.
Vanessa made an effort to rekindle the relationship with Nike and succeeded in keeping his beloved shoe line alive. She made a deal with Nike to continue manufacturing signature shoes for Kobe and her daughter Gianna. Nike will start releasing the signature shoes with the Kobe Halo 8s on August 24th.
