Jake Paul Wants Nike to Sign Players to Kobe Brand

Jake Paul wants Nike to build a Kobe Brand like Jordan Brand.

Jake Paul wants Nike to sign athletes to the "Kobe Brand." / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Jake Paul might be busy training for his highly-anticipated heavyweight fight against Mike Tyson in November, but he still has time to watch the Paris Olympics.

While watching the Summer Games, Paul arrived at the idea many other basketball fans have had before. Paul wants Nike to build a brand in Kobe Bryant's image, the same way it did for Michael Jordan in 1997.

Paul posted on X, formerly Twitter, "Nike needs to sign players to the Kobe brand, just like Jordan. Seeing so many men and women ball players wearing Kobe's at the Olympics. 8-10-24- let's get that gold for Mamba."

Nike needs to sign players to the Kobe brand, just like Jordan.

Seeing so many men and women ball players wearing Kobe’s at the Olympics.

8-10-24 - let’s get that gold for Mamba.

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) August 10, 2024

Paul is right; many Olympic basketball players have worn Bryant's retro Nike sneakers. Despite only releasing retro models, the Nike Kobe line remains the most popular performance basketball line in the entire industry.

Additionally, there are lots of athletes and fans who want Nike to go further in how it honors the NBA legend. Last August, Nike announced the relaunch of the "Kobe Brand," which included more sneaker drops and 'Mamba Programs' in the NCAA.

However, Nike has stopped short of actually creating a Kobe Brand similar to Jordan Brand. When Jordan spun off his sublabel in 1997, it included the signing of 5 NBA players before eventually spreading into the NFL and MLB.

Tyrese Haliburton shows new “USA” Nike Kobe 4s for the Paris Olympics 🔥 @NBAKicks pic.twitter.com/muypf1Ugp3

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) July 6, 2024

Despite there being plenty of athletes that come to mind as potential Kobe Brand athletes (veterans like NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan or WNBA rookies like Caitlin Clark), Nike has no plans to build out a Kobe Brand roster.

In the meantime, Nike still has its work cut out for it when it comes to meeting the demand of fans wanting Bryant's sneakers. Every time a Nike Kobe sneaker is released, it sells out within seconds online. This forces many shoppers to pay resale prices on websites like StockX, GOAT, and eBay.

Even if it is a long shot, we hope that Nike eventually builds Kobe Brand into something larger than it is now. It has been over four years since Bryant's tragic passing, and his influence on current athletes is still palpable. Stay locked into Kicks on SI for all your footwear news from the sports world and beyond.

Further Reading: Caitlin Clark says "Kobe has the best basketball shoes. It's not even close."