Kobe Bryant

The estate of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has declined to renew his endorsement deal with Nike.

Nike confirmed the relationship between the two sides ended:

Statement from Nike: “Kobe Bryant was an important part of Nike’s deep connection to consumers. 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.” pic.twitter.com/zSOVAJfD6n

— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) April 20, 2021

Complex's Brendan Dunne first reported the story, and ESPN's Nick DePaula spoke with Vanessa Bryant about the development.

"Kobe's Nike contract expired on 4/13/21," Vanessa said. "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."

Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January 2020 along with his daughter Gianna and seven others. Immediately after Bryant's death, interest in his Nike line surged.

According to DePaula, Bryant and his family "had grown frustrated with Nike limiting the availability of Kobe product during his retirement" and in the wake of his death.

Vanessa Bryant referenced how Kobe continues to be beloved by many fans.

"My hope will always be to allow Kobe's fans to get and wear his products," she 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."

Dunne reported that prior to Bryant's death the sales of his signature Nike shoes were "flagging," while DePaula reported Nike failed to present an offer to Bryant that mirrored "lifetime" deals Michael Jordan and LeBron James have received from the company.

"Bryant, they say, was a low priority at Nike's basketball division at the time, his shoes not warranting the marketing attention the brand was giving to its active NBA stars with signature lines like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and LeBron James," Dunne wrote.

Dunne also pointed to a tweet from venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar, who said the 18-time All-Star was planning to leave Nike:

I met with Kobe Bryant in late December 2019. Kobe wasn’t happy with Nike and was going to leave it in 2020. Kobe was going to start Mamba, a shoe company owned by players. He passed away weeks later. What he was about to do in business was going to eclipse his sports career.

— Shervin (@shervin) December 29, 2020

As he was preparing to enter the NBA in 1996, Bryant signed an endorsement deal with Adidas. The sides went separate ways in July 2002, and nearly a year later he signed with Nike.

Last month, TMZ Sports reported the Bryant family had filed a trademark for "Mamba and Mambacita." An attorney representing Kobe Bryant LLC stated in the filing the trademark would be used for clothing.

Vanessa Bryant confirmed his estate carries the licensing rights for his signature and unique "Mamba" logo, but DePaula reported the "Sheath" logo that often adorns Bryant's Nike apparel "is mutually owned by both sides."

The idea of Kobe Bryant playing for any other team besides the Los Angeles Lakers may seem blasphemous now, but there was apparently a time when he strongly considered joining the other squad in town.

During an appearance on All The Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Lakers president Jeanie Buss said "I do think that was something that was very possible" when talking about Bryant possibly joining the L.A. Clippers in 2007. 

She pointed out he loved challenges, and guiding the Clippers to a title at that point would have certainly met the criteria of difficult.

This is far from the first time the sentiment of Bryant joining the Clippers at the time has come up, as Hall of Famer Jerry West—who was with the Lakers' front office from 1982-2000 and helped orchestrate the trade for Bryant in 1996—told NBA on TNT as much in 2020:

Jerry West on Kobe potentially joining the Clippers. pic.twitter.com/3JOhjdaV4n

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 29, 2020

While joining future iterations of the Clippers that featured players such as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin would put a player of Bryant's stature in position to challenge for a title, that was not the case in 2007.

The Clippers won one playoff series from the 1976-77 season (when they were the Buffalo Braves) until the 2011-12 season.

The franchise still hasn't advanced past the second round of the postseason in its history, but it at least has become an annual contender in recent years.

Bryant ultimately stayed with the Purple and Gold, which proved to be a fruitful decision when he won the fourth and fifth championships of his illustrious career in 2009 and 2010 with Pau Gasol as his primary running mate.

The pair also helped guide the Lakers to the 2008 NBA Finals the year before their back-to-back crowns, although they lost to the Boston Celtics.

Bryant never played for another team during his 20-season career and is widely regarded as one of the best players in the storied franchise's history.

An NBA Top Shot moment of LeBron James commemorating a dunk by Kobe Bryant during a February 2020 game has sold for $387,600 at auction.

Chris Bumbaca of USA Today reported Friday the Heritage Auctions sale represents a record for a release from NBA Top Shot, a platform that features digital highlights as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. Last than two weeks later, James threw down a dunk similar to one the Lakers legend delivered at Staples Center 19 years earlier:

Same arena. Same basket. Same dunk. 19 years apart. 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/fj7HRmqv3c

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 8, 2020

The four-time NBA MVP explained afterward he didn't plan on the tribute until he found himself alone on a fast break.

"I didn't really predetermine that either until I jumped," James told reporters. "I just jumped and kind of figured it out, and then...it's crazy how it's the same exact dunk, the same exact hoop that Kobe did [it on]   what, 19 years ago or something like that? That was nice."

He added: "Ever see the movie The 6th Man? Kobe came down, put himself in my body and gave me that dunk on that break."

There are only 59 mints of the LeBron-Kobe NBA Top Shot dunk in circulation, with the one being sold at auction listed as No. 3 from the limited-edition release, per Bumbaca.

NBA Top Shot helped spark the recent NFT craze, which is an offshoot of the rise in sports memorabilia boom that's happened throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Former NBA star Lamar Odom recounted how Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant helped him pay back a gambling debt he had incurred.

Appearing on All The Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Odom was responding to a question about some of the last conversations he had with Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

The discussion begins around the 56-minute mark (warning: NSFW language):

Odom explained how he had been gambling and owed more money than he could afford to absorb. He said he was reluctant to reach out to Bryant but "gathered up the strength and put my pride to the side."

Odom said Bryant "went in" to scold him before indicating he'd have his representatives resolve the matter.

Odom and Bryant were teammates for seven seasons on the Lakers. They helped Los Angeles win back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.

Following Bryant's death, the 2010-11 Sixth Man of the Year reflected on his relationship with the Hall of Famer.

"On the court he taught me how to carve out defenses and how to take my time," Odom wrote on Instagram. "How to make winning my ultimate goal. Off the court he taught me to sign my own checks lol. ... Even though our relationship wasn’t father/son, it was more like him being a teacher and me being his brother."

Michael Jordan will present Kobe Bryant as he is inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on May 15.

The Hall of Fame announced presenters for the 2020 inductees Thursday, which include David Robinson presenting Tim Duncan and Isiah Thomas presenting Kevin Garnett.

Michael Jordan will present Kobe Bryant in the 2020 Naismith Hall of Fame @Hoophall induction ceremony on May 15. Full list of inductees and presenters: pic.twitter.com/iD5r6EIxHF

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2021

Jordan will also present Baylor women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey for her enshrinement.

Bryant, Duncan and Garnett lead one of the strongest classes of Hall of Famers ever. Jordan and Bryant have had an inescapable relationship and off-court kinship, given Kobe's modeling of his game after His Airness and many viewing Bryant as the rightful heir to Jordan's basketball throne.

Jordan spoke at the memorial service following Bryant's tragic death last year, calling the Lakers legend a "little brother." 

“Kobe was my dear friend; he was like a little brother,” Jordan said in February 2020. "When Kobe died, a little piece of me died. ...This kid had passion like you would never know. As I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be.”

Bryant made an appearance in ESPN's The Last Dance documentary and credited Jordan with helping him early in his career. 

“It was a rough couple years for me coming into the league, ‘cause at the time the league was so much older, it’s not as young as it is today. So nobody was really thinking much of me, I was a kid that shot a bunch of air balls, you know what I mean? And at that point, Michael provided a lot of guidance for me. Like I had a question about shooting this turnaround shot, so I asked him about it. He gave me a great, detailed answer but on top of that, he said, ‘If you ever need anything, give me a call.’ That’s like my big brother.

Duncan, like Bryant, is inescapably compared to his mentor in Robinson. The pair of Spurs big men won two championships together before Robinson handed the keys to the franchise to Duncan, who would add three more rings to his mantel before retiring.

Garnett and Thomas don't have the same obvious links, but they do share a passionate legacy of brilliance on the defensive end. 

Patrick Baumann, Tamika Catchings, Barbara Stevens, Eddie Sutton and Rudy Tomjanovich are also set to join the Hall of Fame this year after their enshrinement was postponed in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Kobe Bryant's final NBA game belonged on the silver screen in the view of San Antonio Spurs star DeMar DeRozan.

Bryant dropped 60 points on the Utah Jazz and hit the go-ahead bucket in a 101-96 victory for the Los Angeles Lakers on April 13, 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYx0mILo9-Y

"Remember Michael Jordan’s last game, when his team was losing and the fans were all rooting for him to go back in the game?" DeRozan wrote Tuesday for the Los Angeles Times. "Jordan mostly just stood up and waved. So many of the guys I’ve been fans of, when they retire, they just kind of go out quietly. This was different. This was like an Avengers movie.

"Twenty years from now, if you want to show someone what kind of player Kobe Bryant was, it’s all in this game. That’s amazing, man."

Ahead of Bryant's final game, Shaquille O'Neal called upon his former teammate to drop 50 points. Kobe responded by saying, "Uh, no," perhaps because he had a larger figure in mind.

As DeRozan stated, a legend's final farewell can often feel underwhelming because they are struggling to overcome the effects of Father Time.

While Bryant wasn't the same player after his April 2013 Achilles tendon injury, that will largely be forgotten because of the lasting image he left in his finale.

As part of the NBA's spotlight on the 1996 draft, Kobe Bryant's legacy was discussed by fellow members of that iconic class.

NBA TV premiered Ready or Not: The '96 NBA Draft on Sunday night. Bryant emerged as the biggest star from the group that featured four Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers, including Allen Iverson, Ray Allen and Steve Nash.

Iverson, the top pick in that year's draft, said he considers the two best players in NBA history to be Michael Jordan and Bryant.

"You can't have a basketball conversation without Kobe Bryant," Iverson added. "There's no way. He's definitely on that Mount Rushmore of basketball players."

"You can't have a basketball conversation without Kobe Bryant. … He's definitely on that Mount Rushmore of basketball players."

A.I. reflects on the legacy of Kobe Bryant

(via @NBATV’s Ready or Not: The '96 NBA Draft) https://t.co/gQ36X7y9eg

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 12, 2021

Derek Fisher, who was the No. 24 pick in the 1996 draft, said Bryant "wanted to win" and prove "that he could lead teams to championships."

Bryant and Fisher spent 12 full seasons together as teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers. Fisher was the Lakers' first-round pick in that draft. Bryant, the No. 13 pick, was acquired in a draft-day trade with the Charlotte Hornets for Vlade Divac.

Hall of Fame head coach Larry Brown said Bryant and Jordan had an "unbelievable will to win" beyond just the games. They had the "will to win ... every practice, every something" was a competition for them to win.

The '96 draft class featured 10 players who were named to at least one All-Star team. Bryant rose to the top of the group because of his much-talked-about work ethic, which helped him win five championships, make the All-NBA first team 11 times and have both of his jersey numbers (8 and 24) retired by the Lakers.

Bryant was among nine people killed in a January 2020 helicopter crash in California. He was 41 years old.

Allen Iverson.

Steve Nash.

Ray Allen.

Kobe. Bean. Bryant. 

The 1996 draft didn't just give the NBA a group of future All-Stars (11 to be exact)—it introduced the world to arguably the greatest, most iconic class of all time.

The '96 Draft produced some true legends 👀

Ready Or Not: The '96 NBA Draft // Sunday at 8pm ET on NBA TV. https://t.co/SoT0hd3UW2

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 10, 2021

On Sunday, NBA TV will pay respect to the class in a one-night, two-part documentary, Ready or Not: The 96 Draft, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. 

In advance of the premiere, Bleacher Report asked five writers to break down how the most legendary guards from the group would have thrived in today's game, and we asked them to vote at the end on who would be the best modern-day guard from the celebrated class. 

               

Allen Iverson (No. 1 Pick)

"I wanted to always clear that up."@alleniverson talks missing SLAM's draft shoot on NBA TV's Ready or Not: The ’96 NBA Draft on Sunday at 8pm ET. https://t.co/bTyqgXKU0y

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 7, 2021

Allen Iverson danced around defenders who had a lot more freedom to be physical than contemporary perimeter stoppers. Give him today's quick whistle and superior spacing, and he'd be crossing over defenders into oblivion.

He was physically overmatched on a near-nightly basis—the 6'0", 165-pounder spent 42 percent of his career minutes at the 2—and still got wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He might give James Harden a run for his money in drawing fouls, having averaged double-digit free-throw attempts in three different seasons.

Iverson won four scoring titles in his legendary career. With the right amount of opportunity, he might've added to that total if he landed in this era.

There are two giant question marks, though.

The first are his shooting inefficiencies (42.5 percent career from the field, 31.3 from long range) and what they might mean for his minutes allotment from today's more analytically inclined coaches. Modern training could have helped his jumper—he did sink 78.0 percent of his career free throws—but if his percentages didn't improve, he would've had a much shorter leash.

The second is his lack of size and how that would limit him defensively. Small-ball might be a buzzword, but the league hasn't devalued size so much as it has prioritized skill. Iverson might be a one-position defender in the modern game, and those players aren't the easiest to build around.

Plugged into the right role with a roster properly constructed around him, though, A.I. could be just as dynamic offensively today, if not more efficient.

—Zach Buckley 

          

Stephon Marbury (No. 4 Pick)

“We all made it when I made it.”

Relive @StarburyMarbury’s draft night on NBA TV's Ready or Not: The ’96 NBA Draft on Sunday at 8pm ET. https://t.co/zNm18yVhkd

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 8, 2021

Stephon Marbury was a high-usage starter for most of his career, which probably wouldn't be his role today given his lack of a reliable three-point shot (he connected on 32.5 percent from deep on his career and never higher than 35.7 percent in a full season). But he'd be ideally suited to fill the role of a Jordan Clarkson/Lou Williams-type bench scorer.

His lack of an outside shot would be mitigated somewhat by his ability to get to the rim and the foul line—he was good for at least five free-throw attempts most seasons, and he was an elite finisher who would still give defenses problems.

Marbury isn't the ideal guard for today, but he has skills that would translate on the offensive end, and I have no doubt he'd carve out a long career in this era just as he did in the '90s and '00s.

—Sean Highkin

                

Ray Allen (No. 5 Pick) 

"I'm saying to myself, why did Minnesota pick me?"

Ray Allen shares his draft night story on Ready Or Not: The '96 NBA Draft // Sunday at 8pm ET on NBA TV. https://t.co/m8rmADYt1l

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 10, 2021

A better question than how Ray Allen might thrive in today's game: In what way wouldn't he thrive?

His heyday seems uniquely tailored to excel during this era. So many remember the version of Ray Allen who spent a great deal of his time away from the ball, a glorified specialist in Boston and actual specialist in Miami. Prime Ray Allen was so much more, a disarmingly explosive wing who could score at every level. Though his ability to finish above the rim was somewhat recognized in real time, it feels underrated in hindsight. Some of that vertical pop endured into his twilight; he busted out the occasional jam during his time with the Celtics and Heat.

Now, imagine Allen going to work amid today's spacing. Four-out is essentially the standard, and five-out is increasingly common. His on-ball scoring would shine, and he'd certainly be a cornerstone of functional three-point volume. 

The latter is terrifying. Despite being remembered as one of the greatest shooters ever, Allen only once averaged more than 7.5 long-range attempts per 36 minutes. Forty-two players are clearing that benchmark this season. The range and scope of Allen's threes would also broaden. He was no stranger to flying around off the ball, but now more than ever, he'd have carte blanche to pull-up in transition and launch super-deep triples. His assist totals might even climb by virtue of having more willing and lethal jump shooters around him.

Imagining Allen's peak in today's game is almost unfair—to him. This doesn't feel like a situation in which we should put limitations on his best result. Envisioning a couple of seasons in which he averages 30-plus points per game on pristine shooting slashes isn't hard. 

Put another way: The skills that made him a star back then seem like they could be parlayed into annual MVP candidacy now.

—Dan Favale 

          

Kobe Bryant (No. 13 Pick)

We should probably start by stating the obvious here: Kobe Bryant would have dominated in any era of basketball.

Retiring in 2016, Bryant got a taste of the modern space-and-pace play we see today, but teams have moved their shot chart even farther out past the three-point line over the last five years.

Why would Bryant, by all accounts a below-average three-point shooter throughout his time in the league (32.9 career percentage), thrive in today's game? Spacing.

Consider this: Bryant took home MVP honors in both the 2009 and 2010 NBA Finals, putting up 32.4 points per game and 28.6 points per game, respectively, while leading the Los Angeles Lakers to back-to-back championships. He continually carried the scoring load for L.A. despite playing alongside two starters (Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol) who offered very little spacing.

Bynum and Gasol combined for zero three-point makes and just two total attempts in those 12 Finals games, meaning Bryant didn't have nearly the driving lanes he would be blessed with in today's game.

Just imagine Bryant sharing the floor with big men like Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns or Kristaps Porzingis, keeping the floor open and spacing out to the corners as needed. Bryant would be given far more isolation opportunities, as defenders would have to stay honest on the power forwards and centers to whom they were assigned.

As far as Bryant's own three-point shooting, is there any doubt he would have worked to improve his accuracy if that's where the league was going? With nearly every present-day superstar increasing their three-point attempts and success rate, Bryant had the maniacal work ethic to drastically improve in that area as well.

—Greg Swartz 

          

Steve Nash (No. 15 Pick)

A.I., Ray Allen, Kobe, Steve Nash 🔥

The 1996 draft class was SPECIAL

Catch @NBATV's ’Ready or Not: The ‘96 NBA Draft’ on Sunday at 8pm EThttps://t.co/CrY5gf0GC5

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 9, 2021

Steve Nash was the most productive offensive force of his era, as evidenced by the fact that he led the league's top-ranked attack eight out of nine years from 2001-02 to 2009-10. Considering the tactical trends he was instrumental in advancing with the Phoenix Suns—increased pace, higher-volume three-point shooting, relentless pick-and-roll playmaking—are the pillars of today's game, it stands to reason that, if anything, Nash would be even more effective now.

Imagine the brilliantly creative two-time MVP operating in the wide-open spaces of today's offenses. And try to envision how much more effective he'd be in an era that encourages point guards with three-point range to fire away from as deep as they can. In Nash's early days with the Dallas Mavericks, legendary head coach Don Nelson threatened to fine him if he didn't start shooting more often, and Nash has admitted he should have been more aggressive.

Considering he ranks third all-time (among shooters who attempted at least 3,000 career triples) with a 42.8 percent success rate, it's not hard to see how added volume would have made him even more effective.

Oh, and as an aside, Nash led the league in assists five times and earned the following superlative from Ben Taylor, who's spent years studying past greats: "Nash delivered more quality passes, per possession, than anyone I've ever studied on film."

That seems good.

The best mix of passing skill and shooting efficiency in league history and a style that seemed, at the time, like it was pulled from some futuristic version of the game? Yeah, he'd probably be just fine if he were playing today.

—Grant Hughes 

             

Poll: Who Would Be the Best Modern-Day Guard?

Steve Nash: 4

Ray Allen: 1

This was an easy call for the B/R staff.

Nash was built to play basketball in the 2020s, an ultra-efficient shooter and wizard of a playmaker who would destroy opponents in the pick-and-roll today.

The two-time MVP would likely resemble some sort of a Stephen Curry-Trae Young hybrid, perhaps one who didn't put up as many shots per game but combined Young's playmaking with Curry's ability to pull up and cash in jumpers from all over the court.

Allen, the only other player here to receive a vote, would have been brilliant as well. Think: a taller, more efficient Bradley Beal, one who could drop 40 points without breaking a sweat.

This isn't to take anything away from Bryant, Iverson or Marbury, all of whom would have been even more offensively impressive given the spacing of today's game. Nash was just already the perfect embodiment of the modern NBA player and would have to make zero adjustments to playing in this era.

Jalen Suggs grew up wanting to have his Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade moment, leaping to the top of the scorer's table after coming through in the clutch.

He got his moment Saturday night in the Final Four.

"I've always wanted to run up on the table like Kobe and D-Wade and go like that, and that's the first thing I did," Suggs told reporters after knocking down a buzzer-beating three to give Gonzaga a 93-90 overtime win over UCLA. "Man, that is something that you practice on your mini-hoop as a kid or in the gym just messing around. And to be able to do that, it's crazy."

"I've always wanted to run on the table like Kobe or @DwyaneWade to celebrate."

@JalenSuggs2020 on his EPIC buzzer-beater for @zagmbb #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/RI6FsRd8kh

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 4, 2021

Suggs' on-the-run, pull-up three as time expired will go down as one of the greatest shots in men's NCAA tournament history, to cap off one of the best games in men's NCAA tournament history. Gonzaga and UCLA put on a shot-making clinic, trading back-and-forth blows in a game that seemed like it would never end.

JALEN SUGGS CALLED GAME! 😱@ZagMBB #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/jzfZWU4seE

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 4, 2021

UCLA's Johnny Juzang hit a shot with 3.3 seconds remaining to knot the game at 90 and seemingly set up a second overtime period, but Suggs caught the inbounds pass on the run and dashed up the court before pulling up just inside half court to knock down a bank-shot buzzer-beater.

Suggs immediately kept on running as the shot went through the net and leaped onto the scorer's table as a group of teammates came to mob him. The likely top-five pick had taken a backseat to Drew Timme and Joel Ayayi until that final shot, with both Bulldogs stars finishing with 20-plus points, whereas Suggs had only 13 before his game-winner.

That said, his 14th, 15th and 16th points will go down as the greatest in Gonzaga history.

Next up for the freshman guard and Gonzaga is No. 1 seed Baylor in the title game Monday at 9:20 p.m. ET on CBS.

Natalia Bryant celebrated her latest college acceptance in style, as mother Vanessa surprised her with a pair of custom Kobe 4s decked out in USC markings and colors to mark the occasion.

Kobe 4s 😘👌 pic.twitter.com/eChSK1M0bK

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) March 31, 2021

"I know daddy is so PROUD OF YOU," Vanessa Bryant wrote in an Instagram post. "I am so PROUD OF YOU!! Your hard work and dedication was so worth it. You pushed through the most excruciating pain imaginable and you succeeded."

Natalia, the eldest daughter of Vanessa and the late Kobe Bryant, was also accepted to Loyola Marymount, UC-Irvine and Oregon, and has applied to NYU, according to Gabrielle Chung of People Magazine.