Kobe Bryant’s Estate Could Be Launching Their Own Brand, Amid Nike Split

Kobe Bryant’s long-standing deal with Nike may be over, but we could be seeing more from the ‘Mamba’ in the future. In a recent analysis of the legal filings on behalf of Bryant’s estate, it was revealed that more than 13 trademarks have been filed since May 2020, suggesting a standalone brand could be in the works.

‘The filings would suggest Vanessa [Bryant, Kobe’s wife] is building an IP portfolio for a new brand launch,’ said intellectual property attorney Josh Gerben, speaking with CNBC.

Listed in full, the latest filings include trademark applications for Play Gigi’s Way, Mamba and Mambacita, Baby Mambas and Mamba League. The filings show that the trademarks are intended to be used for everything from apparel to footwear. Gerben also stated that these were filed under ‘intent to use’, which adds fuel to the rumours of a new brand launch.

These aren’t the first murmurs of a standalone ‘Mamba’ brand. Back in late 2020, venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar claimed Bryant wasn’t happy with his Nike deal before his passing, and had plans to leave. Pishevar also stated that he’d met with the Laker legend a year earlier to discuss plans to start a new, player-owned independent sneaker company called ‘Mamba’, even going as far as to mock-up new sneaker models for the prospective brand.

By filing the trademark applications, Vanessa Bryant is also putting safeguards in place to ensure her late husband’s name isn’t exploited or misused.

Watch this space, sneakerheads.

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