Kobe Bryant death: Lakers legend leaves behind burgeoning business empire

Few players have had NBA under ir spell for as long as Kobe Bryant did during his 20-year career with Lakers. 18-time NBA All-Star was drafted by Charlotte Hornets back in 1996 but was immediately traded to Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 NBA Draft. While Kobe Bryant laid waste to NBA defences during entirety of his career, few paid attention to burgeoning business empire he created behind scenes. re is, refore, ar aspect to 'Kobe Bryant helicopter crash' story that details shrewd investments he made over years.

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Kobe Bryant helicopter crash: Lakers legend left behind an all-conquering business empire

Following in footsteps of fellow Lakers legend Magic Johnson, five-time NBA champion went about building  'Kobe Bryant endorsements' story, brick by brick. first significant brick of 'Kobe Bryant endorsements' wall was deal he signed with Nike, back in 2003. likes of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony also joined Nike that same year, which solidified Nike's position as a "super-brand" in sports apparel world. An argument can be made that Nike decided to rope in Kobe Bryant since he was biggest name in NBA following Michael Jordan's retirement in 2003. While Michael Jordan had hugely popular brand of "Air Jordans" to his name, Nike Kobe 4, which was released in 2009 is still one of most popular pair of kicks sported in NBA today. Lakers legend also paired up with Nike for launch of Mamba League in 2017; a league which gave hundreds of kids free access to basketball. 

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Kobe Bryant helicopter crash: Lakers legend leaves thriving sports empire

Kobe Bryant proved to have business acumen of an investment banker when value of his 10% share in sports drink BodyArmor skyrocketed following Coca-Cola's investment in company. According to an ESPN report, Kobe Bryant's initial investment of $6 million turned into $200 million with soft drink giant’s investment. Two years after his investment in BodyArmor, Lakers legend partnered with former CEO of Web.com Jeff Stibel. Reports suggest that duo n formed venture capital fund Bryant Stibel, which n invested in gaming company that created immensely popular game Fortnite, among or investments. Throughout his career, reports revealed that Kobe Bryant also signed endorsement deals with likes of McDonald's, Nintendo, Sprite and Starbucks. 

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Kobe Bryant helicopter crash: Sports stars mourn death of NBA legend

news of 'Kobe Bryant helicopter crash' sent shockwaves across NBA world early on Sunday. NBA fans gared outside Staples Center to pay tribute to man who spent entirety of his NBA career in Purple and Gold of Lakers. Cristia Ronaldo, Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were among countless sports stars who mourned death of arguably one of greatest players in history of game. 

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