Kobe Bryant Had Plans To Leave Nike to Own His Own Sneaker Company “Mamba,” According to Venture Capitalist
It has been almost a year since the tragic death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who passed away in a helicopter crash. When news broke it left the sports world and many parts of the world in shock and asking questions of why so soon.
Bryant, who passed at the age of 41, is endorsed by sneaker conglomerate Nike, and has been for almost two decades [own sneaker line], and had continued after his retirement from the NBA in 2016. Just like Michael Jordan and LeBron James when he decides to hang his sneakers up.
However, according to venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, Bryant had plans to leave Nike to start his own company.
In a series of tweets, Pishevar revealed that Bryant met with him to talk about ending his relationship with Nike. At the end of 2019 and by setting up a “shoe company owned by the players,” supposedly called Mamba, at some point in 2020.
Pishevar shared that Kobe was apparently unhappy with Nike’s marketing and promotion committee at his sneaker line, and felt that sales of his shoes were in trouble. Pishevar also claims that Kobe did not trust Nike’s judgment in design, which is why he has always maintained close control of his sneaker line.
This comes after Master P and Baron Davis announced that they are in talks to acquire Reebok.
Rapper Percy ‘Master P’ Miller confirmed to ESPN that he was in talks with parent company Adidas to acquire the sportswear brand with former NBA All-Star Baron Davis. Forbes stated that the asking price for Reebok is set at $2.4 billion.
“These companies have been benefiting off us, this could be history for this company going Black-owned,” Miller told Woodyard.
Adidas reportedly had plans under way to sell Reebok in October before officially announcing plans to evaluate strategic alternatives for the sports apparel brand earlier this month to develop its last five-year strategy.
Landon Buford is an accomplished sports and entertainment journalist based in Richardson, Texas, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, WWE, MLB, and the entertainment industry. Known for delivering high-impact stories and headline-making interviews, Buford has earned a global audience through content that blends insider access with compelling storytelling.
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