Kobe Bryant to Leave Nike in Favor of His Own “Mamba” Company Before Passing

Kobe Bryant reportedly was set to leave Nike this year & start his own company;“Mamba”, a sneaker company owned by players. Kobe Bryant was upset with Nike’s marketing & promotion commitment, or lack thereof of his signature line of products & planned to part ways with The Swoosh after their 20 year partnershi. With Nike’s focus on other Athletes, Bryant blamed the Company for his products low sales & did not trust Nike’s judgement in design; a sentiment a majority of sneakers heads can relate to as Nike has created some undesirable designs in recent years. In December of last year, Bryant met with Shervin Pishevar to pitch plans to bring the Mamba company & a new Kobe signature shoe to fruition. Unfortunately, just weeks later, Kobe Bryant & his daughter Gianna passed away in a helicopter crash, stopping all plans for the “Mamba” company in its tracks. Had Kobe lived to make a decision, leaving Nike would surely shake up the sports world. Like most creators, Kobe wanted control when it came to his intellectual property & it seems as though Nike was not fulfilling the Black Mamba’s needs. With this interesting revelation, it is going to be even more interesting how Nike handles Kobe Bryant’s signature line & if a player’s owner company will be created in the future.

For official mock-ups of the “Mamba” sneaker, check out the images below: