The Problem with Mamba Mentality
Perhaps today is not the day. Yesterday was Mamba Day and the day before it would have been Kobe Bryant’s 42nd birthday if not for the tragic helicopter crash that resulted in the deaths of nine people. The two days dedicated to Kobe’s honor felt like a pseudo-national holiday as people from across all walks of life gushed about the global icon. Each story told of a man who had left the world a better place than he had found it. Nike’s newly released ad for this event titled, Mamba Forever expressed the same sentiments and did what we’ve all done with Kobe Bryant, overlooked the man, and propped up the myth.
As great a basketball player as Kobe Bryant was his celebrity far eclipsed his play. Kobe’s acclaim outstripped his contemporaries and the reverence with which the nation held his accomplishments was unmatched; the MVP, the five championships, the ruthless work ethic, and the Mamba mentality. We ate it all up and anointed Kobe Bean Bryant the basketball-world as the heir to Michael Jordan. From his divine coronation, Kobe became one of the most famous people in the world and built a global money-making machine with his likeness at its center. The dao of Kobe elevated every aspect of himself and his personality to almost god-like status. Yes, Kobe Bryant was a fantastic athlete with a fantastic work-ethic, which should be celebrated, but he was also flawed, as we all are.
It seems hard to remember but Kobe Bryant wasn’t universally loved. In fact, before the Lakers’ late 2000s rebirth Kobe was more a villain than a hero and it had little to do with basketball. On June 30th of 2003, Kobe Bryant was a superstar professional athlete at a luxury hotel as he waited to undergo a minor arthroscopic-knee procedure to alleviate persistent swelling. By the morning of July 2nd, he was the subject of a police investigation and the national media’s encircling microscope. Kobe Bryant, a three-time NBA Champion, had been accused of rape. His accuser was a 19-year-old hotel employee.
Kobe Bryant, over the course of the investigation and subsequent civil case, was rightfully dragged over coals. The case was the most high-profile legal battle since the OJ Simpson trial. Yet, what unfolded, in a pre-Me Too movement world, seems completely unthinkable today but was all too common only 17 years ago. The public details painted a very twisted picture. (if you don’t believe me, just read the transcript) Kobe Bryant, a married man, initially lied about ever having a sexual encounter with his accuser only to later admit to it after the prosecutors informed him of physical evidence from the victim. When pressed about the bruising around the victim’s neck Kobe admitted that strangulation was his fetish and he would routinely engage in the activity with women that were not his wife. He even added that his hands were strong, in what must have been an effort to justify the bruises. In a line that seems completely out of place today, he said he assumed-consent because of her body-language. In 2003 Kobe apparently had an answer for everything but in a post-Me Too world his “excuses” would have never flown.
This is the most complicated aspect of Kobe’s legacy and it should not be overlooked. The woman decided against testifying, which caused the criminal case to be dropped, but she filed a civil suit that was settled out of court. Ask a lawyer, that doesn’t scream innocent. Most’s stance on his innocence aligns with how much they liked Kobe as a player. For some, the basketball player means too much to believe he is a monster and others simply don’t care to know. Which brings us to the next phase of the Kobe Bryant odyssey — salvation through rebranding and the birth of the mamba.
Kobe Bryant, in the aftermath of his sexual assault case, saw his image plummet. He lost sponsorship deals with the likes of McDonald's and Nutella and the loveable sheen as the superstar kid-brother to Shaquille O’Neal was obliterated. It did not help that only a year later he demanded the Lakers choose between him or Shaquille O’Neal, which saw the franchise favorite shipped out to Miami. The rehabilitation of Kobe began with the blessings of the Lakers but was seen out with the might of the Greek goddess of victory.
Nike, like most major corporations, positions itself to be on the right side of history. They latch onto a social movement, make a commercial to sell their products, and donate a few million tax-deductible dollars. For a company worth an estimated $171.2 billion they easily can and should do more if their advertising campaigns have any meaning outside of selling shoes. Which brings us back to 2003 when Nike had just signed Kobe Bryant to a 4-year-$40 million contract. In the aftermath of the sexual assault allegations, Nike decided to stand by Kobe and it turned out to be one hell of an investment.
Perhaps the greatest basketball feat of his career, Kobe shed all the negativity that surrounded him by doubling-down on what he did best — shooting. His 2005–06 season saw him average 35.4 points, the most in a season since Michael Jordan, and erupt for 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. The season was perfect from a narrative standpoint. Kobe reveled in his new role as basketball’s anti-hero. He played the part of a lone gunman wandering alone on the court. Sent to unleash a vengeful fury upon NBA defenders who stood between him and the hoop. Kobe, inspired by his new darker image coined his iconic nickname, “the black mamba,” after a character in Kill Bill and Nike was all in.
The redemption of Kobe Bryant was as hollow as they come. He simply kept succeeding in his field, continued to sell shoes and all was forgiven. Nike had him star in ad campaigns anointing him “the best player in the world” and he delivered on the promise with an MVP and two more championships for the Lakers. In a span of seven years, it wasn’t that all had been forgiven, it was simply all had been forgotten. The Kobe that was accused of sexual assault simply did not exist anymore. He had disappeared and a new Nike-inspired version of himself emerged — the black mamba. Kobe may have redeemed himself to his wife, family, and franchise but his celebrity went largely unscathed after an event with so many problematic details supplied by Kobe himself.
Nike stood by Kobe as he made them billions upon billions of dollars. In a horrible ramification of our reactionary consumer culture the Kobe Brand, in the wake of Kobe’s death, has only become more valuable. Nike’s might was on full display as they carefully cultivated Kobe’s post-sexual assault image into a global brand and oversaw his image as the second coming of Michael Jordan. In China, he is revered as a basketball-god, much like Michael Jordan is in America, and Nike is to thank. Kobe became Nike’s global ambassador and as a result the basketball world’s chosen son but Kobe’s final redemption act he didn’t live to see.
In an unexpected twist of fate Kobe eventually became celebrated for his relationship with women. In the aftermath of his death, which saw his daughter pass-away as they flew to a youth basketball game, he became the face of the #girldad trend. It is an odd distinction to be handed to someone with his history. Yes, Kobe seemed to be very involved with his eldest daughter’s life but he is still a man accused of sexual assault. Yet, as the #girldad trend grew and grew it became apparent that Kobe’s problematic past with women was absolved. Through the superficial lens, the public had of his relationship with his family people became convinced of how changed he was. Perhaps Kobe was a great father, but perhaps there are many other great famous fathers that have to be more respectful towards women their whole lives to be the face of such a trend. I’m not arguing that Kobe needs to be eternally condemned but it seems incredulous that he should be celebrated in this manner.
Maybe today is not the day. But one day it will be. One day we will look at Kobe Bryant with clear eyes. This is not about shaming someone but about true mercy; when one embraces someone for who they completely are. Kobe was sociopathically competitive and by his own admission serially-adulterous. He was also an incredibly hard worker and involved father. Kobe was human. He was a flawed individual with flawless footwork. We let a corporation dictate his image and they robbed us of a real human being. Kobe Bryant should be both celebrated and chastised because that is his true legacy. Maybe, today is the day. When we acknowledge who Kobe really was and embrace him and love him for that. That’s real. That’s how you really honor someone.
The Kobe of Mamba Day is not the real Kobe Bryant. It is a basketball deity manufactured by the Nike corporation. The real Kobe Bryant was a man who was willing to push the limits to achieve what he wanted. Both a commendable and reprehensible trait. It helped him reach the highest mountaintops and also brought him to his darkest moments. We should honor Kobe, flaws, and all, for who he was as a man and not for the man we were sold. In Kobe’s own words, “Mamba mentality is all about focusing on the process and trusting in the hard work when it matters most.” This is the hard work and this is when it matters most. Coming to terms with a hero not being infallible is one of the hardest and most hurtful endeavors one can embark on. Kobe, at his untimely death, wasn’t done working. We shouldn’t be either. Embrace the mamba mentality, trust the process, and honor the real Kobe Bryant, not the Kobe Bryant that was packaged and sold in a brown-rectangular box.