Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was widely known by his nickname, the Black Mamba, during his playing days. However, Nike initially intended the black mamba brand for Michael Jordan.
As reported by ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, the shoe company created a Black Mamba ad campaign for the Air Jordan 19s. The shoes were to use Tech Flex Material, a laceless concept that resembled snake scales.
Nike executive Gentry Humphrey came up with the idea after searching for “the most badass black snake there is” on the internet. In late 2003, Jordan Brand’s director of marketing, Jackie Thomas, pitched the black mamba concept to Jordan.
While Jordan reacted positively to the product, the six-time NBA champion revealed that he disliked snakes. This led to a compromise, in which the company had to “reconcept before the next colorway drops.”
The Air Jordan 19 officially launched in 2004. It was Jordan’s first release since definitively retiring from professional basketball.
The Black Mamba
Bryant came up with his iteration of the black mamba concept after watching “Kill Bill Vol. 2”. He developed the persona during the 2003-2004 season, though it didn’t become a well-known moniker until years later.
Bryant’s first mainstream mention of the black mamba nickname came in 2005, in a feature written by ESPN The Magazine’s Rich Bucher.
“Granted, there is a dark side that Bryant still embraces. He’s known in his inner circle as Mamba… ‘The mamba can strike with 99% accuracy at maximum speed, in rapid succession,’ Bryant explains.”
As the nickname gained momentum, Bryant became one of the top players in the NBA. He was named the 2008 Most Valuable Player, averaging 28.3 points over 82 games.
The Basketball Hall of Famer later won NBA championships in 2009 and 2010. He was named the Finals MVP of both matchups. After retirement, he had both of his No. 8 and No. 24 jersey numbers retired by the Lakers.
While the two black mamba shoe ideas are not directly correlated, it serves an intriguing link between Bryant and Jordan.
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