The popular image and legacy of Kobe Bryant might be a lot different if Michael Jordan wasn't afraid of snakes.

Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan was pitched a black mamba shoe line by Nike.

NBA legend Kobe Bryant lived up to the ‘Black Mamba’ nickname, but another basketball great was originally supposed to own it. For two decades, Bryant was one of the faces of the NBA during this time ...

Long before the world connected the words Black Mamba to Kobe Bryant, the identity was sitting inside a Nike conference room, wrapped around a prototype shoe meant for Michael Jordan. It started with ...

Michael Jordan was originally pitched “Black Mamba” nickname during Air Jordan 19 campaign before it became synonymous with ...

Roughly halfway through his Hall of Fame career, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant adopted one of the most iconic nicknames in NBA history. Bryant started referring to himself as the "Black Mamba.

Before Kobe Bryant was known to all as "The Black Mamba," Nike intended for Michael Jordan to wear the moniker in 2003.

In late 2002, Nike began creating a global campaign featuring the black mamba -- and presented it to an NBA superstar. That ...

Michael Jordan’s fear of snakes led Nike to abandon a black mamba campaign, paving the way for Kobe Bryant to define the ...

Back in 2002, Nike created a whole campaign around Michael Jordan and the black mamba, only to learn MJ hates snakes ...

An ESPN report reveals Nike originally pitched the “Black Mamba” campaign to Michael Jordan in 2003 before Kobe Bryant made it iconic. Explore the stunning what-if scenario that could have reshaped ...