Kobe Bryant had plans to leave Nike, start his own 'Mamba' shoe brand weeks before death

NBA icon Kobe Bryant appeared to have quite the ace up his sleeve prior to his tragic passing earlier this year. The Lakers legend reportedly had plans to end his partnership with footwear giants Nike and start his own Mamba sneakers business only weeks before his untimely death. The revelation came earlier this week after venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar declared that Kobe was 'unhappy' with Nike. 

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Kobe Bryant Nike deal: NBA great planned to end his 17-year partnership with footwear company 

Kobe Bryant and Nike revolutionised the sneaker game during the Lakers star's time in the NBA and beyond. Kobe first signed with the sportswear brand in 2003, on a four-year deal that earned him $40 million. That was only the beginning of an epic partnership that blossomed over the years, or so it seemed. Even after Kobe retired from the NBA in 2016, Nike continued to crank out his signature shoes.

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However, according to Shervin Pishevar, co-founder of Sherpa Capital, who has invested in companies such as Airbnb and Uber, Kobe Bryant had planned to end his long-term ties with Nike just weeks before his untimely death. The entrepreneur revealed the shocking details of Kobe's plans on Twitter and wrote that the five-time NBA champion had planned to start a sneaker company of his own called "Mamba". "Kobe wasn't happy with Nike's marketing, promotion and commitment to his own brand line," Shervin wrote. 

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Shervin, who met with Kobe in December 2019, went on to explain that the NBA icon envisioned creating his own brand that would completely focus on player-owned models and intricate designs. The Iranian-American investor also revealed that his team prepared a design as to how a futuristic prototype model of the "Mamba" shoe would look like.

Kobe had been with Nike for 17 years at the time of his death. Reports suggest that Kobe raked in nearly $8 million per year with his Nike deal. 

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Kobe Bryant death: Lakers star tragically passed away in helicopter crash

Kobe passed away in a helicopter crash earlier this year on January 26, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others who were present in the chopper. Kobe was 41 years old at the time of his death. Tributes for the Lakers icon poured in from all corners of the world soon after the news of Kobe's passing was confirmed.

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Image Credits -  AP