NIKE // MAMBA MENTALITY

Sharing Kobe’s legacy with the next generation.

Try to be better today than you were yesterday. Then, repeat. That’s the Mamba Mentality that helped make Kobe Bryant one of the greatest athletes of his generation. Kobe Bryant often said the work he was most proud of was passing on his Mamba Mentality to the next generation. So for Mamba Week 2020 we partnered with Nike to continue Kobe’s legacy with Mamba Week: A 5-day program that unpacks Kobe's mentality. Each day represented one of Mamba’s values: Passion, Focus, Honesty, Fearless, Optimism. Together, it added up to a week dedicated to inspire action in a younger generation.

We worked with star athletes Diana Taurasi, Jewell Loyd, Sydney Leroux, Sky Brown, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis and Naomi Osaka — each one a student of Kobe’s. In conversation with each other for the first time, they discussed what they learned from Kobe and how they embody his values every day. We not only celebrated and inspired a generation of athletes about Kobe Bryant’s mentality, but we also gave them the tools —training, running, learning — to practice it.

Millions across the world participated in honoring Kobe during Mamba week by taking action. There was a 620% increase in traffic on Nike.com and the Nike app, and 1.5m Mamba Mentality Badges earned with Nike Running Club (after 7 days). And it all laddered up to the goal of inspiring the next generation of athletes, to be better today than they were yesterday. To truly honor Kobe’s lesson the way he would have wanted — by passing it on.

3x Webby’s Winner 2021