It’s been well documented that Kobe Bryant idolized Michael Jordan, so much so that the two eventually adopted a mentor-mentee relationship. Their connection even goes as deep as their on-court nicknames, specifically Bryant’s “Black Mamba” moniker, which was originally intended for MJ.
In an ESPN story by Baxter Holmes, Nike originally pitched the “Black Mamba” name to Jordan as part of the rollout for the Air Jordan 19. Jordan Brand’s former VP of footwear, Gentry Humphrey, and other unnamed Nike execs believed that Jordan’s game resembled a snake instead of his “Black Cat” persona.
In a meeting for the Jordan 19, designer Tate Kuerbis, Jordan Brand’s marketing director Jackie Thomas, and Humphrey explained to Jordan that the Tech Flex material on the upper’s shroud looked like the skin from a black mamba. An issue presented itself later when it was realized that Jordan didn’t like snakes. When the Jordan 19 launched in 2004, the only reference to the Black Mamba appeared in ESPN The Magazine.
For Bryant, he adopted the Black Mamba persona after watching the film Kill Bill Vol. 2, directed by the legendary Quentin Tarantino. Featured in the movie was a group of assassins known as the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, with one of the members using a black mamba to attack another.
Bryant’s “Black Mamba” moniker stuck with him throughout his entire career and even made way for some of his Nike Kobe releases, including the popular Kobe 6 (seen below) that had a snakeskin-inspired upper.
