The news about the Kobe Bryant estate’s split with Nike shocked the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA community.
Vanessa Bryant has revealed that after the previous deal with the sports apparel brand expired earlier this month, the 18-year-long partnership would come to an end. The reports claimed Vanessa hoped Nike would agree in extension talks to a lifetime contract, similar to that of LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
Anthony Davis, who recently returned from his Achilles injury after a two-month layoff, expressed hope the decision wasn’t set in stone. The 28-year-old All-Star has been a big fan of Kobe’s shoes and owns multiple pairs from the collection, just like countless other NBA stars.
“It was tough to see,” Davis said. “Not sure if it’s final, I think they can always come back and figure some things out, but I don’t know all the details of everything. The ins and outs. Just to see that definitely hurts.”
The announcement made Davis wonder whether he should continue playing in his Black Mamba kicks – just like Thursday night against the Dallas Mavericks when he wore a pair of Kobe 6s – or keep them out of the floor to preserve their sentimental value. “It definitely makes me think about which Kobe’s I want to wear in the debut or do I want to just keep for my own personal possessions,” he said.
“But it’s tough to see. Hopefully, they figure it out and kind of keep it going. I know a lot of people love to see it.”
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said earlier he would rush to a store and buy a couple of pairs more before the legendary shoes disappear from the shelves. “First of all, I’ll probably get a couple more pairs before they stop selling them or Nike stop doing whatever,” the guard noted.
“But the reaction that I had was I was shocked. I didn’t think that would happen.”
Vanessa Bryant vows to continue Kobe’s legacy
Vanessa told ESPN she would continue to fight for the legacies of her late husband Kobe and daughter Gigi.
Rumors have emerged claiming the Kobe Bryant empire has filed a trademark registration for footwear and apparel, and the goal is to make the shoes more accessible to fans that have struggled to get Kobe’s Nike shoes over the years.
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