This was a pivotal moment for me in my professional career. At the time I worked for Nike in Brand Marketing in the LA office. Kobe’s presence would be a major focus for our group because the Lakers were our backyard.
But then Colorado happened. Nike had just signed Kobe to a five-year contract in the $40–45 million range before the incident. The sportswear giant was one of the few endorsers that didn’t drop him after he was charged.
The 2004 NBA All-Star game was in LA – The shoe for that game, the 04′ Huraches were really supposed to be Kobe’s shoe but nobody was going to actively market the shoe of a rape suspect. But, we knew once the case was over -assuming he was found not guilty – we would still be tasked with helping to rehab his image.
The direction was set, a grass roots campaign that focused on winning and what Kobe meant to the fans in LA. That plan eventually helped shaped the national direction. Our team knew the city of LA loved him and we made sure the city stayed behind him.
Mamba Rivalry
When Knicks guard Chris Childs gave Kobe a quick two-piece to the chin in 2000.
As competitive as Kobe was, there probably was no better example than his rivalry with Shaq. No moment more perfectly illustrated the beef than in 2010 when Kobe and the Lakers got title number five. “One more than Shaq.”
Petty Wap!
When he dunked on Dwight Howard
That time when Matt Barnes couldn’t make Kobe flinch:
When Kobe let his sorry Lakers’ teammates know they weren’t worth his time in practice.
That time he reminded a “fan” that he has FIVE
Now, if you want the numbers and of course to relive the plays, head over to page 3. I know there are thousands of “farewell Kobe” posts going up today, but Kobe – and the 1996 draft- really had an impact on me both personally and professionally. It was only right that I salute the legend too.
