Home

NBA

The Time Kobe Bryant Took His Hatred for Adidas to A Hilarious Next Level

Published 09/24/2021, 5:00 PM EDT

Follow Us

via Getty

Kobe Bryant is famous for his mentality and discipline on the court. There’s a reason his moniker is the ferocious ‘Mamba’. And when you get on the unpleasant side of a person with that type of mindset, you can expect the worst viable treatment.

And while it is a hilarious memory now, what has happened shows how seriously Kobe took every aspect of his game. Especially his attire and shoes.

Before getting drafted into the NBA, Bryant had signed a six-year deal with Adidas. This made it clear to us exactly how particular he was about having the right accessories at his disposal. The Senior NBA Write Marc J Spears recently brought to light a story that showed exactly how petty but serious Kobe Bryant was.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Why did Kobe Bryant dislike Adidas?

Kobe bought himself out of a six-year contract with Adidas in the summer of 2002. Rumors alleged it was because of the terrible shoe design that saw months of low sales and even Kobe Bryant disliked them. So when he saw Spears in the Adidas Sweatsuit, it possibly reminded him how he does not want to be associated with anything related to Adidas.

Recalling his hilarious experience, Spears told Kris Johnson, “I’m at a practice and I go to interview Bean. I said ‘Kobe you got a couple of minutes before you leave?’ And he said, ‘No, not for you today.’ I’m like ‘What are you talking about?'” Then he explained to Kris that he was completely dressed in Adidas clothes. The brand Kobe despised.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

via Getty

Further, Spears said that Kobe told him, “I ain’t doing an interview with you wearing that. And I’m like ‘why?’ He’s like ‘Really dog?’ and he’s Nike dripped head to toe. And then it hit me like ‘Damn, he did have a bad break-up with Adidas’.”

So Spears tried to convince him to do the interview. When he finally caved, he said, “He’s like ‘Look, this is what you’re going to do’. I’m like ‘what’s that?. You’re going… I’m (going to) give you the interview, but when you go home, you’re going to throw all that away. And you’re going to take a video of you throwing it away”. 

Did Marc eventually agree to Kobe’s demand?

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Kobe Bryant was extremely serious, that Marc eventually had to cave and agree. Since Bryant eventually gave him the ultimatum, “He said I want to see that sweatsuit in the trash. And I need proof that you threw it away. Do you want the interview or not?” However, to date, Marc agrees it was worth it to have done that for a few minutes with the legend.

Therefore, it reveals that Kobe Bryant’s message off the court was the same as his message on the court. That you don’t want to mess with him.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Watch this story: Ben Simmons, Kyle Kuzma & other NBA Players Who Have a Lot to Prove Next Season

 

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Chaitanya Dadhwal

506Articles

One take at a time

Chaitanya Dadhwal is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Even though his journalism is driven by his desire to understand both sides of an argument and give a neutral perspective, he is biased towards Houston Rockets and Arsenal, and he has shown exactly how loyal he can be through tough times. Currently a Law student at Jindal Global Law School, he aims to have his own sports management firm one day and enjoys rap music during his time off.
Show More>