In the cramped locker room after Game 5 of the 2001 NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant sat soaked in champagne. One hand gripping the Larry O’Brien, the other draped in a leather masterpiece. Bold, black, gold-stitched, and blaring legacy, the jacket looked like it belonged in a museum, not a postgame party. That wasn’t just championship gear. It was wearable mythology. And behind that silent symbol of dominance was an artist the world didn’t fully know yet: Jeff Hamilton.

Jeff Hamilton is a Moroccan celebrity fashion designer known for his graphic embroidered leather jackets. At the time, folks might not have known who made the jacket, but once Instagram started circulating those pictures, the dots connected.

Jeff Hamilton recently appeared on the YouTube show, Bryon Scott’s Fast Break. On the show, he shared his experience and the beginnings of working with Kobe. He said, “But Kobe has a big thing to do with it, yeah… I think I have the blessing from Kobe.  We lost Kobe; we were all devastated, but in a way, I mean, people started realizing also we knew Kobe for that picture and those jackets. And through Instagram, at the time that people knew that there was a Jeff Hamilton that made that jacket.” Talking about how the death of Kobe spurred the recognition he has now. Beyond Kobe, Hamilton’s designs have adorned legends like Michael Jordan during his championship celebrations.

Then he reminisced about the journey he has had with Kobe, saying,” Then we go backwards, and we look at all the pictures, and we look at all the different things, and all the history that we’ve had together and all those moments. I remember when he was a rookie and he did his first signing, I remember when we did the stuff with Upper Deck and the signing and all those special moments.”  Here, Jeff is speaking about the iconic Upper Deck Kobe card collection. Which is sort of a rare commodity nowadays. With some cards going upwards of $200.

Continuing his legacy, Hamilton recently partnered with the Houston Rockets to release the ‘Hometown Heroes’ jacket, celebrating the team’s storied history and its legendary players.

Kobe Bryant has always possessed the Midas touch. Anything he touches spawns gold. Even Shaq paid tribute, calling back to that iconic photo. The jacket wasn’t a one-off. From Mamba Mentality apparel to FC Barcelona crossovers, every drop carried the same DNA. Let’s take a look at a short history of the Mamba drip.

Kobe Bryant’s influence off the court: Collaborations in apparel and streetwear

Okay, so we all know Kobe was a beast on the court. But off it? The man had killer style. And he didn’t just dip his toes into fashion, he dived in with some iconic collaborations that still hit hard.

Let’s start with the big one. Nike. Yeah, everyone knows about the sneakers, but the apparel lines? They were on another level. You had the “Black Mamba” collection, featuring all sleek lines, snakeskin textures, and that deadly-serious vibe Kobe carried.

Then came the “Mamba Mentality” drops, which went beyond just performance gear. They were more like wearable motivation. Consisting of bold graphics and powerful quotes, trying to emulate the laser-sharp focus Kobe lived by in clothes.

But, now, here’s a lesser-known but amazing one: Nike x UNDEFEATED x Kobe. These limited collaborations brought streetwear and sport together, especially during Kobe’s retirement phase. The designs blended Mamba themes with military inspiration, and the apparel that resulted? They were clean, tactical, and straight heat. 

Then there was Nike x FC Barcelona x Kobe, a wild crossover celebrating Kobe’s love for soccer. Yup. Custom Barca kits with Kobe branding. Super niche, super cool, and trailblazing in building bridges between sports. Okay, we can’t skip Mitchell & Ness. They dropped some throwback heat with Kobe’s high school jerseys and Lakers classics. Straight-up nostalgia that sold like hotcakes.

Perhaps one of the most touching pieces tied to Kobe’s legacy came post-retirement. The “Farewell Mamba” jacket. Designed by Jeff Hamilton and worn by Drake during Kobe’s final All-Star appearance, the jacket featured hand-stitched nods to Kobe’s milestones, Lakers iconography, and even the Toronto skyline. It was a love letter in leather. A tribute from one icon to another, marking the end of an era in true Hamilton fashion.

The world saw Kobe as a basketball god. But his legacy lives on in every piece of gear that carried his DNA – Nike collabs, FC Barcelona kits, and even farewell merch. What Jeff Hamilton stitched together back in the day was one of the first symbols of Kobe Bryant’s transition into something bigger than basketball.