Kobe Bryant revealed that he would have no problem investing in the $35 billion business even though they are with controversial athletes.
Kobe Bryant realized during the last stage of his NBA career that what he earns on the court would not be enough. Sure, he made $328 million over 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, but with a lot of taxes, especially in California, coupled with that wealth spread over 20 years, he didn’t satisfy Kobe.
So in 2013, Bryant started his own mutual fund with his business partner, Jeff Stibel. They put up 0 million and invested in a variety of companies that went public, including BodyArmor, Dell, Alibaba, and many more.
Like his former teammate Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant followed a similar reversal tactic. Only if he believed in a product and understood its value would he jump on board as an investor.
So, when talking about how he chooses which companies he invests in, Kobe was asked what he thought about companies like Nike. While a Nike athlete himself, the $35 billion was sided with a rather controversial figure in the 2010s.
Kobe Bryant on his mindset when it comes to investing in companies like Nike.
Phil Knight always wanted Nike to be a company that was on the side of the athlete. They launched the now-infamous Charles Barkley video campaign in the 1990s and in the 2010s, they endorsed controversial NFL star Colin Kaepernick.
Colin became a figure of national debate when he decided to kneel for the national anthem at a December 2016 game between the 49ers and the Falcons. He would soon lose his spot on the roster and the league would rule him out.
However, Nike swooped in and gave Kaepernick a voice in a campaign that read: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.
Quite a move on the part of the company, but it was the right thing to do. Kobe Bryant was asked how he felt about backing a company that did something so controversial. Without hesitation, Bryant said:
“Nike’s mission is very simple. Since Phil Knight founded the company, the mandate was to listen to the voice of the athlete. So he is bigger than Nike. Nike’s core value is the athlete themselves, so you must stand up for what the athlete believes. If this is what the athlete believes in, this is what you support.”
Nike and the Bryant family had a rocky relationship after the legend’s passing when Vanessa Bryant called out the company for selling unauthorized shoes that were made to honor her husband and late daughter. However, this has since been fixed as Nike will continue to release new Kobe protro’s as the years go by.
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