Kobe's "Selfish" Image Hurts Public Perception, Endorsement Deals
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Bryant Still Not Scoring With
Non-Basketball Marketers |
Lakers G Kobe Bryant's 81-point game against the Raptors in '06 "put him back on the court with fans across the country," but CNBC's Darren Rovell said Bryant is "still missing that blue chip, non-basketball-related endorsement," according to T.J. Simers of the L.A. TIMES. Simers asks of Bryant: "Does the image of a selfish basketball player ... linger?" Davie Brown Senior Client Manager Matt Delzell, whose talent agency ranks athletes and celebrities in eight categories to determine their viability as endorsers, said Bryant still "struggles. Kobe has a high awareness number, so people know who he is. But when it comes to trust, appeal, influence and such things, he scores below the average score for everyone else in seven out of seven categories." Delzell: "People are not as aware of [Cavaliers F] LeBron James, but those who do know him think more highly of him, and perceive him to be more trustworthy and worthy of being a spokesman candidate." Millsport's Darin Davis on Bryant: "He's done plenty on the court, but the overall perception of the one-man team and Colorado hasn't changed too much. He would be somebody we would typically stay away from." Rovell, however, believes Bryant's high jersey sales are the "No. 1 metric measure of popularity." Rovell: "It's not a poll, it's voted on by money spent, and Kobe is right there." Bryant is second only to Celtics F Kevin Garnett in jersey sales among active NBA players.
Q-SCORE: Rovell and Marketing Evaluations Exec VP Henry Schafer, whose company gives Q rankings that analyze the popularity of celebrities, agree that Bryant's "outburst" this summer when he asked to be traded from the Lakers "remained an L.A. story rather than something to further irritate folks nationally." Simers notes Spurs F Tim Duncan and Suns G Steve Nash are the two "most likable players in the NBA," with positive Q numbers around 30. Bryant's positive Q was at 22 at the end of '07, but his negative Q of 36 "puts him second only to the most disliked player in the league, [Kings F] Ron Artest" (L.A. TIMES, 3/5).
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