Kobe Bryant Day
Bryant appears more comfortable in a suit. He’s not stupid, though; he understands that his exploits spanning 20 years in the National Basketball Association spur his endeavors as a mogul. He may have moved from the court to the boardroom, but he has stay
Yesterday was Kobe Bryant’s 38th birthday, and today, the start of the rest of his life, is “Kobe Bryant Day” in Los Angeles. Naturally, the event spearheaded by city officials carries sentimental and commercial significance; it commemorates his jersey numbers 8 (which he donned from 1996 to 2006) and 24 (which he sported from then on and until his retirement this year) and cements his legacy as a Lakers icon. And considering how he managed to win three championships with one and two with the other, it’s fair to contend that both will be hanging from the rafters someday soon.
Of course, today isn’t the first time the numbers have been given prominence. In Bryant’s last game at Staples Center on April 14, they were featured in merchandise with such notable price tags as $824, $5,824, $12,424.08, $24,008.24, and $38,248.08, to outstanding results; by the time he put the finishing touches on a remarkable 60- point performance, a record $ 1.2 million worth of the special-edition goods changed hands on site. And the Lakers’ partner in putting out the aptly named “24 Collection?” BodyArmor, on which he has a stake.
That Bryant and his collectibles remain visible is a reflection of his star power even off the floor. Even as the Lakers’ official online store continues to hawk items that bear his name, he has astutely parlayed his career earnings from salary and endorsements (estimated at $680 million) to business interests that serve to fuel his competitiveness. These days, he’s busy with ventures of Kobe, Inc. and the newly formed Bryant Stibel, a nine-figure fund he co-manages with Dun & Bradstreet Vice-Chairman Jeff Stibel. Among the latter’s investments to date: Alibaba and The Players’ Tribune.
Moving forward, Bryant appears more comfortable in a suit. He’s not stupid, though; he understands that his exploits spanning 20 years in the National Basketball Association spur his endeavors as a mogul. He may have moved from the court to the boardroom, but he has stayed driven to succeed, hence his effortless bridging of the two phases of his life. As he disclosed after he rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange early this week, “we are one gear, 100% laser-focused, and here we go.”