Most basketball fans knew — and hoped — this season would be Kobe Bryant’s farewell tour. And for followers of his brand, the status of his Nike signature line remained unclear. The Mamba’s been making money for the Swoosh for years now, and his presence in the Asian market is tremendous for the NBA, Nike, and his own personal brand alike.
So for all of the publicity and influence behind the Nike sponsorship of Kobe, there was little doubt that his line of clothing and shoes were going to go kaput once he left the court. Still, there wasn’t any official word until now. When asked by Sole Collector in an interview whether the line would go on after retirement, Kobe stated, “Absolutely. We’ll continue to evolve. We’re going to continue to push and the line will keep growing.”
Promising indeed. With his playing days nearing an end, the Black Mamba might his craft as a quasi-sneaker designer to wow us even more in the future. Given his hyper-competitive nature, I wouldn’t bet against it.
(Via Sole Collector)