NBA, Nike Among Those Activating Around Kobe Bryant's Last Game
NBA L.A. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant will play the final game of his illustrious 20-year career Wednesday night against the Jazz, and the NBA and Nike are among those activating around Bryant's retirement. The league will salute Bryant by running full-page celebratory ads Thursday in USA Today and the L.A. Times. The NBA Store in Manhattan on Wednesday night will light up its storefront’s oversized net in Lakers purple and gold colors and feature commemorative window displays, exclusive merchandise, and discounts to fans wearing Bryant gear. NBA.com this week launched a comprehensive Bryant tribute page marking his 20 seasons, while NBA TV will air Bryant programming throughout Wednesday. Before Wednesday’s game, Nike will debut an official retirement commercial titled "Conductor" across its digital and social media platforms, while fans can customize and buy a limited edition of the Kobe 11 Mamba Day NIKEiD shoe. The final NIKEiD shoe of Bryant's pro career will feature a graphic highlighting eight notable career stats (John Lombardo, Staff Writer).
I AM LEGEND: 2K announced that Bryant will be featured in a Legend Edition of the "NBA 2K17" video game. Consumers who pre-order the edition will receive a suite of Bryant-themed memorabilia -- a limited-edition poster, two Panini cards and a Black Mamba game controller skin -- in addition to in-game digital content such as virtual currency and Nike Kobe 11 shoes. The Legend Edition will be available for $79.99 in digital and physical format for the PS4 and Xbox One in September. The cover athlete for the standard edition of the game, which retails for $59.99, will be revealed in June. Bryant was the cover athlete for "NBA 2K10." This is Take-Two Interactive subsidiary 2K's second year in a row producing a Legend Edition of its NBA franchise. 2K VP/Global Sports Marketing Alfie Brody in an email said the brand had "tremendous success" with the Michael Jordan special edition of "NBA 2K16," and it "wanted to build off that successful foundation with something even more impactful for NBA fans." Bryant's impending retirement helped make him "the obvious choice." Brody: "We wanted to ensure that Kobe will continue to live on through our franchise" (Preston Bounds, Staff Writer).
I WILL REMEMBER YOU: FOX BUSINESS's Thomas Barrabi reported sales of Bryant merchandise on Fanatics.com have "surged during his final NBA season.” Bryant sales on the site “are up” 500% during the past 30 days. For the entire season, Bryant has "sold better than that of any other NBA player except" for Warriors guard Stephen Curry. Bryant “has cultivated a worldwide fan base during his time in the NBA,” and he is “one of the league’s most well-known players in China.” His merchandise “has sold in 59 countries over the last 30 days,” and residents of Hong Kong “have purchased more gear than people in any other city in the world except” for L.A. (FOX BUSINESS, 4/12).
DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME: SNEAKER NEWS' Zack Schlemmer wrote adidas "hasn’t forgotten" Bryant’s time with the brand, as they "honor the Black Mamba with a two-shoe pack including the Top Ten 2000 -- the first adidas shoe Kobe wore after joining the NBA -- and the KB 8 (now Crazy 8) -- his very first signature shoe." Inspired by Kobe’s "lesser-used nickname 'Vino,' each shoe features cork detailing and 'wine labels' on the tongues" (SNEAKER NEWS, 4/11).
