Kobe Bryant will be hanging up his sneakers at the end of the season, but according to the Mamba himself, his Nike signature line is just getting started.
In a new interview with Sole Collector, Bryant says that the Nike Kobe franchise is "absolutely" going to continue after his retirement. "We'll remain extremely consistent with what we’ve been doing, which is creating innovative products that help athletes be the best versions of themselves," Bryant said. "That’s not going to change."
Ever since the Kobe 11's official unveiling in December, there's been some speculation over what would come next for Bryant's sneakers. Nike kept it vague, choosing to market the model as Kobe's "final on-court sneaker," which left room for interpretation as to what that meant for the future. Now, it's apparent that the Nike Kobe signature line isn't stopping anytime soon.
"After 11 years, we’ve become so close to each other and we've established a relationship in how we communicate. We have a great flow and that's not going to stop," Bryant said of the long-running partnership.
Elsewhere in the revealing interview, Kobe talks about his close relationship with designer Eric Avar, a "nostalgia room" where he keeps all his Nike sneakers and championship rings, a Nike Kobe Trainer that never saw the light of day, and much more.
Read the full interview now at Sole Collector.
