Kobe Bryant’s moniker ‘Black Mamba’ slowly became associated with the Lakers legend, but it was initially for another legend of the game, Michael Jordan. Bryant’s concept of ‘Mamba mentality’ revolved around his work ethic and dedication to the sport, and his hunger to be better. However, the moniker could have been the identity of the 6-time NBA champion, but there was a catch.
Nike ran several campaigns around Jordan to capitalize on his popularity that led the league to unmatched heights. The one with Black Mamba was ideated in 2002 when MJ was at the tail end of his legendary career. The multi-billion-dollar shoe brand was designing the Air Jordan 19 that featured a new material called Techflex that looked like snake skin.
Why did Michael Jordan pass on the opportunity to launch Black Mamba campaign?
The overall look and feel of the new Air Jordan edition (version 19) led the team to brand the shoe around ‘Black Mamba’, the most lethal snake species in the world, just like Michael Jordan, a legend in basketball. However, there was one major issue with marketing the shoe around a snake.
Michael Jordan had a fear of snakes. Even though he let the team run initial advertisements, the eventual campaign never panned out. However, at the same time, a young superstar, Kobe Bryant, was breaking into the league. In 2003, he faced a sexual assault case by a hotel concierge, which was later settled out of court.
Bryant was ardent to put work into his skills and separate his personal life from professional, something he attributed to Kill Bill: Vol. 2. He vowed to become one of the best in the post-Jordan era, and Nike planned a similar ‘Black Mamba’ campaign, but this time, for Kobe Bryant.
In 2006, a Slam magazine cover mentioned the 4-time NBA champion as “Cold Blooded,” further solidifying his persona. The late former NBA superstar signed a signature shoe deal with the sports brand. In 2010, Nike launched the Kobe VI ‘Venom’ that featured a snake-skin design.
Slowly, the 2007-08 NBA MVP became synonymous with the ‘Black Mamba’ moniker. Even though the team was aware of the Michael Jordan angle to Nike’s campaign, he did not shy away from modeling his persona around someone like MJ, who was an inspiration to many, including Kobe Bryant.
Bryant and Jordan had a cordial relationship, which was evident when Jordan gave the tribute to Bryant after the former Laker died with her daughter in a plane crash accident. The Chicago Bulls superstar was too emotional to talk about Bryant.
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