Kobe Bryant's popularity in China is immense and with his career winding down, the Los Angeles Lakers star has begun to expand his presence in the country to help grow his brand. During last season's NBA Finals, Bryant provided analysis for the China-based online community Sina, and now he has partnered with the Chinese ecommerce company Alibaba Group to create an even stronger foothold in the country.
Not only will there be Kobe-branded products in China, but Bryant is also attaching his name to a new social media site in the country.
From Variety:
Under the deal, Alibaba Group will release the L.A. Lakers shooting guard’s documentary, “Kobe Bryant’s Muse,” on Saturday, Aug. 8, exclusively through its Tmall Magic Box Internet set-top box (priced at 8 yuan, or about $1.30).
In addition, Alibaba Pictures will work with Bryant’s Kobe Inc. to create a series of Kobe-branded products. Those will be distributed via Alibaba’s retail platforms, including Taobao Marketplace and Tmall.com, which are accessed by over 350 million active buyers across China.
Finally, the pact calls for Alibaba and Sina to collaborate with Kobe Inc. to create a new social-media platform aimed at “connecting China’s young people directly to Kobe and his philosophies.” The two Chinese companies said the project with Bryant will be a model for other “Star, Media, Platform” properties they plan to launch together.
“I believe there is power in understanding the journey of others to help create your own,” Bryant said in a statement. “This narrative is an intimate look at who I am as a person, not what I am. My dream is that others are inspired by my personal story and create epic life stories of their own.”
One can only imagine what a Kobe-branded product will actually look like (action figures?) or how Bryant will connect his philosophies to China's young people, but this is Kobe we are talking about so he will more than likely find a way to succeed in this venture. After all, he is the same person who was able to lead a Lakers team with Smush Parker and Kwame Brown into the playoffs twice. Nothing is impossible for Bryant.
