Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant‘s widow, and the National Basketball Association star’s estate have elected not to renew a partnership with retail company Nike after years of working with it.
The contract expired April 13, and Vanessa Bryant, in addition to the estate, had expressed frustration that some of the basketball legend’s merchandise was dwindling in availability during his retirement and after he died in a California helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020, according to ESPN, which cited a statement from Vanessa Bryant and a source with knowledge of the matter.
Those close to Kobe Bryant had also reportedly become angry that his signature shoes were not offered in enough children’s sizes.
“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,” Vanessa Bryant told ESPN. “It seems fitting that more NBA players wear my husband’s product than any other signature shoe.”
She continued: “My hope will always be to allow Kobe’s fans to get and wear his products. I will continue to fight for that. Kobe’s products sell out in seconds. That says everything,” adding that she was “hoping to forge a lifelong partnership with Nike” that suited her late husband’s legacy.
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Nike told the Washington Examiner in a statement that despite the severed contract, Kobe Bryant “remains a deeply loved member” of the company’s family.
“Kobe Bryant was an important part of Nike’s deep connection to consumers,” Nike told ESPN. “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.”
Kobe Bryant signed with Nike in 2003, and the pair created a multitude of co-branded basketball shoes while he earned a reputation on the Los Angeles Lakers. He was given a five-year contract extension after he scored 60 points in his last game on April 13, 2016.
Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California. The death toll included his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna; Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter, Alyssa; Christina Mauser, who helped Bryant coach his daughter’s basketball team; Sarah Chester and her daughter, Payton; and pilot Ara Zobayan. Alyssa and Payton were Gianna’s teammates.
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A February 2020 investigation concluded that Zobayan flew into the clouds even though he wasn’t permitted to under air safety rules, leading to disorientation. No alcohol or drugs were found in his system.
