A change is underway for the future of Kobe BryantShoe line.
Nike ended his contract with Vanessa Bryant and Kobe’s estate after a long relationship with the late NBA legend E! News learned. On Monday, April 19, the shoe company issued a statement to E! Messages that confirm they are breaking up.
“Kobe Bryant was an important part of Nike’s deep connection with consumers,” the message read. “He pushed us and made everyone around him better. Although our contractual relationship has ended, he remains a very beloved member of the Nike family.”
Kobe, who tragically died in a helicopter crash with a 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people who signed with Nike for the first time on January 26, 2020, in 2003. He was a key brand advocate even after his NBA retirement in 2016.
In December 2020, CBS Sports quoted a tweet from the entrepreneur Shervin Pishevar, who claimed Kobe informed him in December 2019 that the star intended to depart from Nike and launch its own line of shoes. E! News has asked Vanessa to comment on this claim and has not heard from it.
