25/02/2026
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Nike originally pitched “The Black Mamba” nickname to Michael Jordan in 2003, not knowing he had a fear of snakes.
After hours of work and pitching the presentation to MJ, Larry Miller, the president of Jordan Brand told Nike, "Hey, good job in there yesterday. MJ really liked the meeting. The product looked great, but you've got a problem.
"MJ doesn't like snakes."
A year later, ‘Kill Bill Vol.2’ introduced the Black Mamba as “Death Incarnate” and one late night Kobe saw the movie on TV.
"The length, the snake, the bite, the strike, the temperament," he told the Washington Post in 2018, "'Let me look this s--- up.'
"I looked it up -- yeah, that's me. That's me!'"
Crazy to think Kobe could have never been The Black Mamba.
(via ESPN)
