What do Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Mike Tyson, and Drake have in common? Sure, they are cultural icons, but there is one person in history who played a significant part in highlighting their careers. Yes, the famous Jeff Hamilton, who in the 90s was the designer responsible for creating championship leather jackets that are part of the basketball lore. In fact, the Moroccan’s famous design also brought him back from his financial mess, and he thanks the Lakers legend for being the guiding light.

Speaking to Joy Taylor on the Two Personal podcast, he recalled how he was ousted from his own legacy. Later, he claimed he was dragged into a legal battle. Hamilton recalled how Kobe Bryant’s unfortunate death five years ago led to sadness, and fans and everyone were thinking about different ways to keep that legacy alive. “Especially the way the tragedy happened but in a way somewhere where I think I have a blessing of Kobe.”  Hamilton continued, “Kobe kind of blessed me at that moment because the whole world suddenly realized that they connected him with him with that jacket…”

The jacket is from the 2001 Finals, when the Lakers beat the 76ers. There is another story on why Kobe felt sad that he needed that moment with the trophy, which Hamilton later talks about. But the jacket that the 5x NBA champion wore is voted as “the most iconic piece of fashion in sports history.” With people gravitating to Black Mamba, it opened more opportunities for Hamilton as “suddenly Instagram start blowing after me and and I’m getting people say ‘I need to get that jacket…‘”

But recreating it was not that easy, as Hamilton required permission from the NBA. “I called them. I said, I don’t know what to do… but I have an idea, you know. And the people I was doing for me, I mean, they were charging me four times the same price that they charging me 15 years ago, you know, and so he’s like, if I’m selling that jacket for $2,000, I have to sell at $6,000-7,000 suddenly.”

Even the league did not interfere, and thus several rappers reached out to him for collaborations and made him mainstream again. Hamilton came out of retirement, and he was once more designing jackets, like he did for the Boston Celtics after the 2024 championship.

The hidden meaning of sad Kobe Bryant

The Moroccan designer created wearable art, is responsible for the visuals of some of the biggest pop culture moments in history, and some of his creations are worth over five figures today. He has been friends with Michael Jordan for close to 4 decades, and often runs his idea by him. But for him, the Kobe jacket stands out differently. Not because of the material used, but why it was heavy on the Lakers legend’s shoulder. “That moment, that sad moment when he was in a shower, and we all know or we might not know why the moment why he was sad at that moment.”

Hamilton narrated, “You know, he was in Philly. He won a championship. He grew up as a Philly fan, you know, and his dad played for the Sixers, you know, and people booing him the whole night. And then he had a falling out with his parents as well during that time. And then he was like, he needed that moment to meditate and have that alone moment. That’s what he was sad. He was really in a trance when it happened.”

As per sources, Bryant had a rocky relationship with his parents, Joe and Pamela Bryant, after they did not approve of his wife, Vanessa. So, they weren’t in attendance when Kobe Bryant lifted the trophy. Which is why even after winning it on the court, off-court troubles were on Mamba’s mind. Remembering the emotions, Kobe still fought his hardest on the court and came out as a victor!