Kobe Bryant estate ends long-time partnership with Nike

Vanessa Bryant and the Kobe Bryant estate allowed the five-year, post-retirement endorsement extension to expire this month with Nike. One of the longest and more profitable shoe partnerships in history ended on Monday!

While most of Lakers Nation was fixated on the two-game series against the Utah Jazz played on Saturday and Monday, an announcement from Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa reminded that the NBA, the Lakers brand and Kobe’s legacy is big business.

• Los Angeles Lakers lose the second showdown vs. Utah Jazz

A partnership between Kobe Bryant and Nike that lasted from 2003 to 2021 is officially over according to Brendan Dunne of Complex and The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Nick DePaula of ESPN got confirmation from Ms. Bryant soon afterward.

"“Kobe’s Nike contract expired on 4/13/21,” Vanessa Bryant, widow of the Lakers legend, told ESPN. “Kobe and Nike have made some of the most beautiful basketball shoes of all time, worn and adored by fans and athletes in all sports across the globe. It seems fitting that more NBA players wear my husband’s product than any other signature shoe.”“My hope will always be to allow Kobe’s fans to get and wear his products,” Vanessa Bryant said. “I will continue to fight for that. Kobe’s products sell out in seconds. That says everything.“I was hoping to forge a lifelong partnership with Nike that reflects my husband’s legacy. We will always do everything we can to honor Kobe and Gigi’s legacies. That will never change.”"

Then a statement from Nike.

"“Kobe Bryant was an important part of Nike’s deep connection to consumers,” Nike told ESPN in a statement. “He pushed us and made everyone around him better. Though our contractual relationship has ended, he remains a deeply loved member of the Nike family.”"

After scoring 60 points in his final NBA game on April 13, 2016, Nike put together a farewell campaign called “Mamba Day”. At that time Kobe had a five-year endorsement extension contract in place that continued into his retirement.

Before the tragic helicopter crash back in January of 2020, there were already reports swirling that Bryant was planning his exit to form his own sneaker company called “Mamba”.

That desire may have been fueled by some differences with Nike according to businessman Shervin Pishevar.

After his death, it seems that things only got worse.

Nike’s handling of new merchandise by releasing limited supplies upset multiple parties.

• Their practice made it nearly impossible for regular fans to get the newly released shoes.
• Nike’s SNKRS platform and overall direct-to-consumer model used exclusively to release Kobe’s merchandise was overrun with re-sellers buying nearly all of it in seconds.
• Then the re-sellers would price gouge fans with massive markup prices. 

The final nail in the coffin was probably around Christmas last year when Ms. Bryant posted on Instagram that she was trying to work with Nike to make more of Kobe’s signature shoes named Kobe 6 Protro “Grinch” sneakers.

According to DePaula, Vanessa Bryant voicing her own frustrations along with the fans makes this no surprise.

Then…there’s always the money.

"“According to a source, Bryant and the estate had grown frustrated with Nike limiting the availability of Kobe product during his retirement and after his January 2020 death in a helicopter crash,” wrote DePaula. “There was also frustration with the lack of availability of Kobe footwear in kids sizes, according to sources.“Nike, sources said, had presented an extension offer that was not in line with expectations of an ongoing ‘lifetime’ structure similar to the Nike Inc. contracts held by both Michael Jordan and LeBron James.”"

It is important to note that the Kobe Bryant estate owns the rights to both the “Mamba” logo and his signature (If you think that’s not important, ask Kawhi Leonard!). The “Sheath” logo shown on the tongue of Nike’s Kobe sneakers is mutually owned by both sides.

So what does that mean for the future of Kobe Bryant sneakers?

Lake Show Life has a few suggestions:

1. Start shopping at any Nike outlet mall that you can find. If you see a pair of Kobe’s in your size… BUY THEM! They probably won’t be there tomorrow!
2. If you can’t find any and you have a pair, might want to ease up playing on asphalt for a while. You might be scuffing collector’s items.
3. If you don’t play basketball in your Kobe shoes, shine them up and put them somewhere safe!
4. To the people that were paying these outlandish prices to resellers (Yeah thanks a lot! See the after-effects?), if you thought you were paying a grip before… they’ll cost a mortgage payment now! Good luck!

Who knows, down the line, maybe these two parties will reach a deal. Based on the past and what has been done lately, it’s highly unlikely.

Instead, the Kobe Bryant estate will probably find a deal that will bring much more exposure to the Kobe Bryant legacy and an easier merchandising stream to the market they desire which was reportedly more than what Nike was willing to do.

Nike can focus their marketing attention on active players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James. Oh, there’s also the most famous NBA shoe brand of all time called Air Jordan. Throw in the Team Jordan brand’s new signees Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic, they’ll be busy enough.

Over time, we’ll all see that this was the time for the separation.