Nike and Kobe together again

[Veedems Veteran]

Nike is using photos of Kobe Bryant for the first time since his arrest two years ago for an alleged assault on a female employee at a Colorado resort.

Nike agrees with most NBA observers that Kobe ranks among the very best players in the NBA, and his training and preparation are key elements of his game,'' said Nike spokesman Rodney Knox.

The ads appear in Sports Illustrated. His name appeared in an ad earlier this year.

Prosecutors dismissed a rape charge against Bryant last September after his alleged victim refused to go ahead with the case. Bryant publicly apologized to her without admitting any guilt.

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What do you guys think? Honestly, I'm a little surpised they are willing to use the image of a guy with so much doubt and dislike hanging above his head.

[vincent]

It's all about the $$$$$

;)

[Veedems Veteran]

It's all about the $$$$$

;)

586197610[/snapback]

But do you really see this being a successful campaign? Who is going to see Kobe and think, "I want to be like him"?

[vincent]

It's kind of like a car that runs on fumes after the main supply has gone away.

I doubt it will be succesful, personally.

[bigbluepride35]

But do you really see this being a successful campaign? Who is going to see Kobe and think, "I want to be like him"?

586197818[/snapback]

If I heard the story before seeing an ad I probably would have though it was useless, however, I saw a two-page ad on the inside cover of the latest SI. I think it's rather clever considering the iamge of him currently that they have to work with. Its black and white with a facial profile shot of him on the right and a list on the left that reads:

You failed.

1000 made jumpers.

No playoffs.

Abs 200 x 5.

Selfish.

Curls 15 x 3.

Overrated.

Bench press 2 x 15.

Not a leader.

Baselines x 20.

A fluke.

300 made bank shots.

Too young.

Lunges 15 x 4.

Uncoachable.

Tricep press 10 x 4.

Played out.

800m run x 2.

Tired.

400m run x 5.

No focus.

Calf raises 12 x 3.

You're burnt.

Squats 2 x 10.

An outcast.

Reverse hyper 10 x 4.

Past your prime.

Box jumps x 3.

Ball hog.

100m run x 10.

You're garbage.

100 made free throws.

Too cold.

Military press 8 x 4.

You're mental.

Five-mile run.

Stubborn.

Pull-ups 12 x 5.

You peaked.

Lat pulldowns 10 x 4.

Prima donna.

Low row 10 x 4.

Big ego.

Leg curls 10 x 3.

A baby.

17's x 3.

Not a team player.

Film review.

It's over.

Suicides x 3.

No moree rings.

Suicides x 3, again.

Edited July 11, 2005 by bigbluepride35

[Veedems Veteran]

So the talk about him looking like another anti-hero is the way they're going with this? I think it's a really poor decision. Regardless if the case was dropped or not, people still see him as a guy convicted of rape. Beyond that, he's known for breaking up the Lakers and ending the rule of a dynasty. I don't care how much he works out.

[sbweb77]

If I heard the story before seeing an ad I probably would have though it was useless, however, I saw a two-page ad on the inside cover of the latest SI. I think it's rather clever considering the iamge of him currently that they have to work with. Its black and white with a facial profile shot of him on the right and a list on the left that reads:

You failed.

    1000 made jumpers.

No playoffs.

    Abs 200 x 5.

etc....

586197954[/snapback]

That seems awful long, ads are supposed to be short and memorable. Like..

Whether chasing unwilling women or fleeing sweatshop workers NIKE makes it easy to JUST DO IT.

[Veedems Veteran]

That seems awful long, ads are supposed to be short and memorable.  Like..

Whether chasing unwilling women or fleeing sweatshop workers NIKE makes it easy to JUST DO IT.

586198338[/snapback]

lmao thats the best laugh I've had all day.

[Deathray]

He takes them all the way and most people wont remember any rape case near his direction. Nikes thinking is logical, take him out of the spotlight, people forget, then bring him back in when other issues are more pressing than his past rape case. Guilty or not, it's wise timing.

[bigbluepride35]

He takes them all the way and most people wont remember any rape case near his direction. Nikes thinking is logical, take him out of the spotlight, people forget, then bring him back in when other issues are more pressing than his past rape case. Guilty or not, it's wise timing.

586198372[/snapback]

Yeah and in case people haven't noticed, the American public at large has shown a willingness to forgive its celebrities and athletes for rather serious transgressions in the past.

[Veedems Veteran]

My problems don't lie in the rape accusations as much as they do with the lack of ability to make his team a winning one.

[sbweb77]

My problems don't lie in the rape accusations as much as they do with the lack of ability to make his team a winning one.

586198417[/snapback]

My problems don't lie in the rape accusations as much as they do with the actual rape. As far as the ability thing, I always enjoy watching overrated "superstars" fall on their face. Unfortunately the Lakers will spend the money to bail him out.

[Steffan]

I wonder if Jackson decided not to coach the Lakers that Nike would still have resigned Kobe.

[cq_]

um everyone I know thinks he didn't rape the girl...

geez, I bet the chic was like "I would do anything to **** kobee"... so she does. the parents find out somehow, and she says she was raped (to saver her ass from getting "grounded"), so the parents call a lawyer... makes alot more sense than a guy who could get ANY woman at the drop of a hat forcing sex with the girl....

[Ayepecks]

It doesn't matter... it's Kobe Bryant. Name recognition alone is good for them. Ever heard the saying there's no such thing as bad publiclity?

[mattmatik]

Well, I remember when Kobe was with adidas, his shoes didn't exactly sell off the shelves. And I can't even remember the last pair of Nike-branded Kobe shoes that they made. So, my point is, it's not going to matter that they re-signed him or not...Kobe doesn't market well, never has even before the allegations.

He's too damn wishy-washy...first, he wants to come off as an intelligent, educated, and articulate guy who can play basketball and then he flops and tries to come off as a hood-raised, street credible, slang-talking ball player. He has no image...hence the reason WHY he's hard to market.

And that ad that Nike just released...it's just a rehash of the Michael Jordan ad in which Michael talked about how many shots he's missed in his career, how many last second shots he's taken and missed, how many games he's lost, etc.

I agree with one of the guys on Around The Horn...Nike should have went after a guy like Rip Hamilton if they wanted to market a "hard-working, blue-collar" basketball player.

[Soham]

it is good for kobe to regain the status