Michael Jordan’s Fear of Snakes Helped Create Kobe Bryant’s ‘Black Mamba’ Brand

When any basketball fan talks about the late Kobe Bryant, they often think about how his playing style and mannerisms largely mimicked those of the great Michael Jordan.

Some believe that the Los Angeles Lakers’ great was so similar to His Airness that it felt as if the former was the latter’s ‘clone.’ That would not be surprising, considering Bryant spent hours studying Jordan’s body language and playing style before coming into the league.

Thankfully, the two also had opportunities to play against each other. Whenever they did before Michael Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls, it was a battle of extreme competitiveness.

When the six-time champion returned for a stint with the Washington Wizards, it was more about respect and their growing relationship. Who knew that the two were also tied together by something Bryant never knew until he died in 2020.

ESPN’s Baxter Holmes investigated the origins of Kobe Bryant’s ‘Black Mamba’ brand and came to realize that the brand had a lot to do with Michael Jordan than anyone thought.

In his article, he detailed how Nike’s marketing team felt that the texture of the Techflex insert in the upcoming Air Jordan 19s looked similar to snakeskin.

After researching, they figured they should use the Black Mamba snake for their promotional campaigns, as its features were similar to Jordan’s. The five-time league MVP allowed the ad to run, but demanded that they never run it with the snake again.

The reason: Michael Jordan never liked snakes. More specifically, the player known for his intimidating style of play was actually scared of snakes. He did not want anyone to know, which is probably why Nike executives allowed Holmes to reveal this now.

Michael Jordan was also fearful of water

Such a revelation would be startling for basketball fans who felt that Michael Jordan was the most fearless superstar in league history. However, the UNC great has another phobia, as he revealed when talking to Playboy in 1992.

Everybody’s got a phobia for something. I do not mess with water.

Baxter Holmes quoted Michael Jordan telling Playboy

Holmes revealed that this ‘phobia’ came about after MJ watching a friend drown as a child. This explains why none of his opponents used this as a way to get back at him.

Athletes can be competitive. But no one uses something that has a traumatic event attached to it. That is just a low blow, no one wants to start, knowing others can do the same to them.

It is still surprising that Michael Jordan would have these two fears, especially for someone who used his competitiveness to instill fear into his opponents.

Now, there is a strong reason why Jordan or anyone close to him did not want his fear of snakes to come out into the open, knowing it could severely impact his reputation. But Kobe Bryant embraced it.

Kobe Bryant’s ‘Mamba’ sneakers are favorites among basketball players

Michael Jordan did not want to associate one of his fears with his signature sneakers. After all, he deeply cared about how they looked and ensured they echoed what he was known for.

On the other hand, Kobe Bryant embraced the ‘Black Mamba’ as his spirit animal when he was dealing with the allegations at the hands of a hotel receptionist back in 2003.

That allowed him to be the embodiment of someone who would not be deterred by outside noise. Soon, it became a part of his famous ‘Mamba Mentality,’ which Nike would then channel into his signature shoes.

There is a reason why Bryant’s sneakers are some of the most-loved shoes in the NBA and WNBA. Where Jordan’s sneakers have become collector’s items, Kobe’s are known for being the best Nike could offer to a basketball player.

Now, with Caitlin Clark‘s custom PEs joining the lineup, the Lakers’ greats’ shoes have lapped up top-10 minutes every month this season. It seems that somewhere the plan set for Jordan ended up working for his ‘clone.’

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