Kobe Bryant and the secret history of the black mamba

"Black and tubelike, Tech Flex had commonly been found inside cars and airplanes. Its grip expanded and contracted whatever was placed inside it. Staffers saw it as a possible foundation for the next frontier of a basketball sneaker, one that wouldn't feature laces."

"The snake was described as lightning fast, agile and feared -- the same qualities of the star NBA guard for whom they were designing the shoe. Humphrey, who had worked at Nike since 1994, quickly prepared a presentation that featured the snake as the centerpiece of a new sneaker campaign."

"TODAY, THE BLACK mamba is synonymous with Kobe Bryant, the late Los Angeles Lakers legend. Countless posters, murals and commercials champion the intensity of his "Mamba Mentality." Bryant founded an academy that bore its name."

In late 2002, Nike executives examined Tech Flex, a space-age material used in cars and airplanes, as a foundation for a revolutionary laceless basketball sneaker. The material's braided sleeving resembled a snake, prompting Nike marketing executive Gentry Humphrey to research the black mamba. Recognizing the snake's qualities—lightning fast, agile, and feared—as matching the target NBA player's attributes, Humphrey created a presentation combining the material, snake imagery, and basketball footage. The campaign concept resonated with colleagues, and Nike prepared to present it to Michael Jordan. However, the black mamba became permanently associated with Kobe Bryant, the Lakers legend, whose "Mamba Mentality" became iconic throughout his 20-year career.

Read at ESPN.com