“I don’t f*ck with Adidas” — Kobe Bryant was quite upfront about his hatred for the German Brand after a point. No wonder he dropped $8 million to get out of his contract with Adidas in 2002. However, it seems the brand is still not done cashing on Black Mamba’s popularity. And after the Black Mamba’s tragic demise, the craze among the fans was such that Nike reportedly sold out all of its Black Mamba merchandise online. This makes it clear why Adidas is still re-releasing its Kobe Bryant sneakers.

The fact that the German brand is all set to bring back Kobe Bryant’s final shoe—Kobe 2—as a member of Adidas Basketball is a clear reflection of the aforementioned notion. But some may wonder how Adidas is able to re-release the Kobe Bryant sneakers.

This is especially true when the Bryant Estate is already in a long-term deal with Nike. Yes, after the deal between the two came to an end in 2021, Nike reached a new long-term deal with the Bryant estate. Amid such circumstances, Adidas is playing it smart to avoid any legal hassle with Nike.

Rather than introducing new Kobe-inspired sneakers, Adidas is sticking to retro versions of his old designs. The ones that they still hold the rights to. They have also renamed the sneakers to stay in the clear even further. For example, the Kobe 2 will return in 2025, but this time it’ll be part of their Crazy line. By doing this, the German brand avoids stepping on the toes of Bryant Estate’s recent new long-term Nike deal while continuing to cash in on his legacy.

According to HypeBeast, the Crazy 2 will debut in several colorways. The first one, a white-and-gold All-Star edition, originally worn by the LA Lakers icon during the 2002 NBA All-Star Game, will drop during the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend. Another version, in a sleek silver metallic colorway, is scheduled for release in April.

But let’s not forget—Bryant wasn’t exactly a fan of the original Kobe 2. Reports suggest that the shoe’s clunky design frustrated him so much that it became one of the reasons he wanted out of his Adidas contract. And anyone who knows Black Mamba knows he wouldn’t settle for anything less than perfection, especially when it comes to his shoes.

Kobe Bryant developed extreme hatred for Adidas

What would you do if your favorite basketball player threw a pair of sneakers you like in the trash? Now, imagine it’s Black Mamba who does that. And it’s because your pretty sneakers are Adidas. That’s exactly the kind of moment former NBA player Nick Young experienced with the Lakers icon. On VLAD TV, Nick shared how 18x All-Star’s hatred for Adidas made an already unforgettable interaction even more memorable.

It was Bryant’s last day as an NBA player, and Young decided to approach him for an autograph on a pair of Adidas sneakers. Well, it didn’t go as planned. “I had some Adidas. I wanted him to sign them on his last day. But he threw my shoes in the trash,” Young revealed. The Lakers icon didn’t hold back, telling Nick, “I don’t fck with Adidas. I don’t wear them shts.”

Imagine the nerve it takes to stand up to Kobe Bryant after that. But Nick did. He asked him outright what was wrong. Turns out, it wasn’t Nick—it was just the brand. “He [Kobe] said, ‘Go get some Nikes… if you ain’t got no Nikes, I ain’t signing nothing for you.'”

Determined to get that autograph, Nick swapped his Adidas for a pair of Nikes. That did the trick. Black Mamba signed the sneakers and added a personal touch, writing, “My main man…”. Nick, however, wasn’t the only one who got caught in Bryant’s Adidas crossfire. NBA writer Marc J. Spears had a similar run-in. Picture this–you’re at a Lakers practice, trying to interview the 18x All-Star, and he shuts you down. Not because he’s busy, but because you’re wearing Adidas. That’s exactly what happened to Spears.

“I said, ‘Kobe, you got a couple of minutes before you leave?’ And he goes, ‘No, not for you today,'” Spears shared in an interview with Kris Johnson. At first, he didn’t understand why, but then it hit him. It was the Adidas gear. After some persuasion, Bryant finally agreed to the interview—but with a hilarious condition.

“He’s like, ‘I’ll give you the interview, but when you go home, you’re throwing all that [Adidas] away. And you’re going to take a video of it,'” Spears recounted. And guess what? Spears did it. Per what he says, he does not regret the decision. Kobe Bryant’s hate for Adidas could not be any clearer. But as a brand, it’s clear the intent for the company is to cash on what they can. Now it’s to be seen if the Crazy 2 can impress the fans like Kobe 2, seemingly, could not.