This is a look at Kobe’s logo and some history behind his amazing legacy.
Most people think branding is only for businesses. This is not true! Athletes have achieved fame and fortune with good branding. It’s the force behind the legacies of brilliant talents and businesses.
Therefore, it’s important for both businesses and people. It’s no surprise that athletes like Tiger Woods, Leo Messi, and Venus Williams have emblems representing their brands.
These logos increase their fame and fortunes. For example, Kobe Bryant had a symbol that represented him before his death. The trademark looks like a basketball player waiting with arms opened to receive a pass from another teammate. It’s officially called the sheath.
The iconic Kobe Bryant’s logo has six segments. Four short shapes represent the upper body. And the two long shapes represent the lower body. The combined shape resembles a sword or a person.
The iconic symbol represented his raw talent, training, and stellar performances. It also led to his fame and awards. This logo served him for about 17 years.
Who Designed the Kobe Bryant Logo?
Trademarks are a huge part of sports. You’ll find them representing the best talents in all sports.
Kobe Bryant had three logos when he was alive. They were the frobe, the sheath, and the hourly glass. The frobe logo represents his afro hairstyle. He used it when he signed a contract with Adidas. He used the sheath logo when he worked with Nike. And the hourly glass represents his business.
In 2003, the sheath logo came into existence. It represented Kobe’s career as a basketball player till his death in 2020. Nike Inc. designed the iconic logo. Nike is an American footwear producing company. It designs and sells footwear, clothes, and equipment worldwide.
In consultation with the player, Eric Avar designed Kobe Bryant’s series of footwear. Eric Avar is Nike’s vice president of design innovation. He started working with Nike in 1991. And since then, he has designed many awards–winning products.
Why did Kobe Bryant’s Logo work?
The logo represented the career of Kobe Bryant from 2003 till his death. Today, people of all ages still recognize the emblem worldwide.
The logo became famous because it represented a player who was delightful to watch on the court. Yes, Kobe Bryant was always a favorite to watch in the Lakers team. But the logo would have faded if the designer created it badly.
The logo was minimalist. It used fewer geometric shapes, colors, and typography. In most cases, you’ll find the logo with neutral colors–black and white. The simple logo is attractive and highly recognized.
The logo also worked because it offers different meanings. People love stories, and the sheath emblem is a symbol of tales. There is more to Kobe Bryant’s logo, from a sword and sheath to a human figure.
The logo will remain in people’s hearts for many years. It will remind people of the iconic player. This is because it’s minimalist and has a unique story around it.
Elements of Kobe Bryant’s logo
Kobe Bryant wouldn’t go wrong working with Nike on a logo design. This is because Nike has one of the most visible logos in the world. They know how to design. So, it was no wonder that Kobe Bryant’s logo used fewer designed elements.
- The Diagonal Shapes:
The upper body of Kobe Bryant’s logo comprises four diagonal segments. These symbols represent upward movements. It signals the act of jumping to score. The diagonal shapes also represent tension and excitement–a feeling related to sporting activities.
- The Vertical Shapes:
The iconic Kobe symbol has two vertical segments that formed its lower part. These shapes are strong and rigid. They represent heights and strengths. In fact, they reflect the traits he showed whenever he was on the pitch.
- A Numerical Six:
The famous logo had six symbols. The number six represents harmony and stability. It also conveys love, family issues, and truth. These are values that the player lived by.
- A Basketball Player:
The six combine symbols look like a person. It shows a player with both hands raised. This is a posture in basketball when a player is calling for a pass from his teammate.
- A Samurai Sword:
We can’t ignore the thought of the bearer of the logo. To Kobe Bryant, the logo looks like a sword. Well, when you look at the logo with a creative eye, the basketball star was right.
The Kobe Bryant Logo Symbols and Colors
Colors are attractive to the eyes. Apart from adding beauty to logos, they also evoke emotions. The original colors of the sheath logo are black and white. However, depending on the mission, you’ll find other bright colors.
- Black Color:
As a simple trademark, Kobe Bryant’s logo has a black color. It’s a neutral color that conveys power, strength, and elegance. Before his death, he showed these values. Black also stands for mystery and formality.
- White Color:
The opposite of black is white. It’s also a neutral color in the logo design. The white color stands for purity, goodness, and humility. It’s a bright color that also represents faith, cleanliness, and safety.
- Other Colors:
Apart from the usual neutral colors, the logo used other ones. These are gold, gray, and purple. The gold color stands for wealth, wisdom, and courage. The gray color represents formality and strength. Finally, the purple stands for royalty, peace, and ambition.
The Kobe Bryant Logo Typography
In most cases, Kobe Bryant and his partners used the iconic logo with no typeface. But when it used lettering, you’ll find different fonts representing his name. Therefore, there is no standard font for the sheath logotype.
The Meaning Of Kobe Bryant’s Logo
One thing that makes logos to resonate well with people is the stories behind them. And every logo, whether for a company or an individual, has a unique meaning. Without wasting time, let’s look at the meaning behind the sheath logo.
The meaning of Kobe Bryant’s logo isn’t lost. This is because he made it clear for people to understand. According to him, the iconic logo represents a sword in a sheath. The sword stood for his raw talent. And the sheath is the effort he put into developing it.
Every talent is innate and covered. It takes regular training to make it shine. A sword is a symbol that represents power, protection, and courage. These were values that resonated with Kobe Bryant.
Eric Avar also gave another meaning to the logotype. For him, the samurai warriors inspired the logo. And he believed Kobe Bryant’s life mirrored that of the Japanese warriors.
As a sword, the logo represents power, protection, and courage. These were traits that resonated with Kobe Bryant. In another sense, a sword is a symbol of knighthood and chivalry.
Why Did Kobe Bryant Name Himself Black Mamba?
Just like the sheath logo, the Black Mamba represented two unique personalities of Kobe Bryant. The sheath logo looks at his talent and devotion to training. The Black Mamba Logo represents his personality on and off the court.
In 2003, he was at the top of his sporting career. He and his teammates gave the Angeles Lakers win after win. But the unexpected happened, which shocked him. He was charged with the crime of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old girl.
To defeat his mental struggles, he created the Black Mamba. So, the Black Mamba became the nickname that separates his life on and off the court. It gave him the mental toughness to handle his opponents with no fear.
In his own words, “I had to separate myself; it felt like there were so many things coming at once. It was just becoming very, very confusing. I had to organize things. So I created the Black Mamba.”
According to the superstar, the movie “Kill Bill” inspired the Black Mamba. In the movie, a killer used a Black Mamba to kill another character.
The timely and accurate strike of the reptile amazed Bryant. Afterward, he believed the character shown by the snake resonated with his ability. Hence, the nickname the Black Mamba.
What Does the Mamba Logo Mean?
Before looking at the meaning of Black Mamba, let’s look at the animal that inspired it. The Black Mamba is one of African’s most fearsome snakes. It’s slim, agile, aggressive, and has powerful venom.
Now the Black Mamba is an alter ego for Kobe Bryant. It separates his personal and professional lives. In the court, his nickname motivated him to become fearless and to have a winning mentality.
As snakes shed off their skin, the mamba mentality is about leaving your old self and adopting an improved version of it. It’s about focusing, hardworking, chasing one’s dreams, and outwitting your opponent.
According to Kobe Bryant, “hard work outweighs talent every time.” And it is part of the mamba mentality. The mamba logo represents having a fearsome attitude and striving harder to achieve your dreams.
The Impact And Legacy of Kobe Bryant
On 23rd August 1978, Kobe Bean Bryant was born in Philadelphia. His parents were Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. As a son of a former NBA player, he started playing basketball at age 3.
As a child, his best teams were the A.C Milan and the Los Angeles Lakers. At six years, his family moved to Italy. This is where he learned how to speak fluent Italian. At Reggio Emilia, he became active with basketball.
He learned more about basketball from watching animated films. His grandfather also sent him videos of NBA games to watch. At 13 years, his family moved back to the United States. The parents enrolled him at Bala Cynwyd Middle School. He started in the eighth grade.
Kobe Bryant earned a place on the Lower Merion High School Basketball team. He won the hearts of many with his work rate. As a freshman, he played for the Lower Merion’s varsity. The beginning of greatness.
During his junior year, he was named the Pennsylvania Player of the year. This honor came after he averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.8blocks, and 2.3 steals. With this performance, he caught the attention of many college recruiters.
His senior years were no different. He won several awards—Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Men’s National Basketball Player of the Year, McDonald’s All–American, etc.
To follow the rare footsteps of Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant went directly to the professional basketball league. With this bold decision, he became the sixth player in NBA history to have done so.
His professional career started with the Los Angeles Lakers when Charlotte Hornets traded him for Vlade Divac. As a minor, his parents cosigned his three–year contract worth $3.5 million on his behalf. At 18 years, he became the youngest player to have featured in an NBA game.
From the beginning, he mostly starts from the bench behind Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. Later, he got more playing time. His twenty seasons with the Lakers were a story of unparalleled greatness.
Together with Shaquille O’Neal, they won three consecutive NBA championships for the Lakers. This happened from the 2000 to 2002 seasons. In 2006, he scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. This achievement became the second-highest point in the game’s history.
Bryant was a two–time Olympic gold medalist. He won this with the US basketball team in 2008 and 2012. Kobe Bryant also won the NBA championship five times. In 2008, he further won the NBA Most Valuable Player of the year.
Again, in 2009 and 2010, he led the team to win two more titles. Eventually, winning the Finals Most Valuable Player on both occasions. Also, he earned 17 times NBA All-Star appearances.
Before his devisting death on January 26, 2020, he had retired from the sport following a series of injuries. But he continued to impact the world off the court. In partnership with Nike and Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club, he launched the Mamba League to give youth free access to sports.
He also created the Mamba Sports Academy to provide rigorous training to the participants. With his oldest daughter and seven others, he met his untimely death on his way to the Mamba Sports Academy.
Aside from being a mega talented basketball player, he was a storyteller, philanthropy, and an Oscar winner. This is an amazing achievement for a young man of his age.
Bringing the Curtains Down
Greatness is within each individual. However, it takes more than talent to achieve one’s dream and to impact the world. As Kobe Bryant’s life has shown, you need work ethic, focus, and thick skin to rise among the greatest in your field.
His alter ego, which the Black Mamba represents, shows that every great person or company goes through different life stages. You must be ready to embrace the changes in your life. It’s the only way to reinvent and become the best version of yourself.
His three logos–the frobe, sheath, and hourly glass show that branding is important in helping individuals achieve their dreams. They have symbolized his talent, character, and personal and professional lives.
