Vanessa Bryant hinted at a contentious break with Nike in a statement following the news that Kobe Bryant’s estate chose not to renew its partnership with the brand.
“Kobe’s Nike contract expired on 4/13/21,” Vanessa, widow of the Lakers legend – who died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, along with the couple’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant – told ESPN Monday.
Later in her statement, Vanessa, who heads Kobe Bryant’s legacy, added, “I was hoping to enter into a lifelong partnership with Nike that reflects my husband’s legacy. We will always do everything we can to honor the legacies of Kobe and Gigi. That will never change. “
Sources told the outlet that Vanessa and the estate were discouraged at Nike due to a lack of products after his retirement and death, including a lack of kids-sized sneakers.
Vanessa had previously voiced in an Instagram post last year about the lack of the Kobe 6 Protro “Grinch” – which was released on Christmas Eve and sold out immediately.
On December 23, she shared a message on her Instagram story to let fans know she reached out to Nike to come up with a plan to make the shoes more widely available.
Sources told ESPN that the contract extension offered by the estate did not meet the standards set with the lifetime deals Michael Jordan and LeBron James received.
Kobe initially signed with Nike in 2003 and later struck a five-year deal after retiring from his last NBA game on April 13, 2016.
While it’s unclear what the Lakers legend’s legacy will do next, it is believed that all future releases of Kobe Bryant branded shoes and apparel manufactured by Nike will be discontinued due to a partnership with a new brand.
“Kobe Bryant was an important part of Nike’s deep connection with consumers. He pushed us and made everyone around him better. Although our contractual relationship has ended, he remains a much-loved member of the Nike family, ”Nike told ESPN in a statement.
Despite the end of an era between Kobe and Nike, Vanessa said her “hope will always be that Kobe’s fans can buy and wear his products.
“I will continue to fight for that. Kobe products are sold out in seconds. That says it all. “
Earlier this month, it was announced that Michael Jordan will include Bryant in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which will take place at Mohegan Sun Arena on May 15.
Jordan, who after his death referred to Bryant as his ‘little brother’ in a tearful eulogy, was close friends with Kobe on and off court.
The ceremony expects a personal presence of 50 Hall of Famers, including all presenters. It’s unclear if Bryant’s widow and their kids, Natalia, 18, Bianka, 4, and Capri, who turns 2 June, will be in attendance.