kobe bryant

Kobe Bryant Stars In Robert Rodriguez Short Film For Nike

Filed under: Shoes

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is the latest celebrity to star in a short film for a brand. Bryant teamed up with director Robert Rodriguez for a new short filmed titled the Black Mamba which highlights Kobe's latest sneaker, the Nike Zoom Kobe VI. The film is short in Rodriguez's gritty Grindhouse style and also features Kanye West, Bruce Willis and Machete star Danny Trejo. In the six-minute film, West and Willis get to play villains with Bryant in the hero role, playing a sky-high game of basketball. The film will air on TV during the NBA All-Star break but a 30-second preview is shown above. This isn't the first time we've seen Kobe capitalize on his Black Mamba alter ego, he also has a Black Mamba watch.

The LA Times also reports that a three-pair set of Zoom Kobe VI sneakers called the Neighborhood Pack will be released. The pack represents different parts of Southern California. The East L.A. shoe is done in Dodger blue, the Hollywood show has a 3-D reptile print and the Orange Country shoe is orange with a translucent green sole and a sunset.

The film follows a slew of other short films for brands made by top directors. Some of the highlights include Zoe Cassavetes for Miu Miu, Eduardo Ponti's film for the W London, David Lynch for Dior, and Guy Ritchie for Dior.

Tags: black mamba, kobe bryant, nike, robert rodriguez

Trophies Now, Rings Later for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

What was a big night for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers is also always a big night for Tiffany & Co. which designed and manufactured the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy, the trophy given to the team that wins the NBA Chamionship. Tiffany & Co. first created the trophy in 1978 but in 1984 the trophy was officially named for the late former NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien. It is handcrafted in sterling silver with a 24 karat gold overlay (also called vermeil). The trophy is nearly sixteen pounds and stands two feet tall and is etched to resemble a basketball net. Three rods extend from the base to give the seven-inch basketball the appearance of motion as it rests along the rim of the net. The trophy is created each year in the Tiffany & Co. silver shop. It is valued at around $13,500. The winning team keeps the trophy and the year and team names are engraved on it.

In Kobe's other hand is the smaller, ice cream cone like trophy is the the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. This award was a originally a black trophy with a gold basketball-shaped sphere at the top, similar to the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, until a smaller trophy with a silver base and a gold-plated basketball was introduced in 2005. Russell was at the Staples Center to present the award.

The victory will eventually lead to a fifth championship ring for Kobe Bryant. Last year's rings were awarded last October and made of a special limited 15K gold to celebrate the 15th championship and had 14 round diamonds circling the top of the ring to represent 14 championships with the small gold trophy on the top representing the 15th. Looks like they need more diamonds and more gold to celebrate this year's victory.

Gallery: Lakers Rings

Tags: kobe bryant, larry obrien nba championship trophy, los angeles lakers, mvp trophy, nba championship, nba finals

Kobe Bryant's Aston Martin Edition Nike Hyperdunks

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Shoes, Men's Style, Celebrity Design

Value isn't a term typically bantered about by collectors. Value for such enthusiasts exists on a different plain. If something's a must-have, then they must have it, and that's the value. Take, for example, these special edition Nike Hyperdunk basketball shoes. Nike's only making 500 pair, and they're already trading for as much as $700.

So what makes these so special? Not the shoes themselves, but the feat they supposedly represent. A couple of years ago NBA all-star Kobe Bryant appeared in a video for Nike in which he appeared to have jumped over an Aston Martin roadster that was speeding right at him. In the middle of the playoffs, no less. Bryant looked to have cleared the car, and people went nuts. Of course it was all camera tricks, even if he actually is capable of theoretically pulling it off.

That's what these shoes celebrate. They've got Kobe's signature embossed on the inside of the tongue, and Aston Martin's winged logo on the outside. Are they worth seven bills? Well, that depends... to who?

Gallery: Nike Hyperdunk Kobe Bryant Aston Martin Edition

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Tags: aston martin, AstonMartin, basketball, kicks, kobe, kobe bryant, KobeBryant, nike, nike hyperdunk, NikeHyperdunk, shoes, sneakers, sneaks

Lakers Receive Championship Bling

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Sports

Earlier this week the Lakers received their championship rings and this year's rings are some of the flashiest yet. Several members of the Buss family and team captains Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant weighed in on the design for the rings. The rings are made of a special limited 15K gold to celebrate the 15th championship. Dr. Jerry Buss requested the 14 round diamonds circling the top of the ring to represent 14 championships with the small gold trophy on the top representing the 15th. The team captains requested that each player have their own face and jersey number on the side of the ring. On non-player rings the Los Angeles skyline takes the place of the face. Each ring is authenticated by a serial number and there are hidden etchings of the Lakers logo on the ring. The diamond-studded top echoes the shape of the Staples center. Each ring comes with a box that has two LED spotlights inside. The 2009 Lakers championship rings were created by Jason of Beverly Hills and are worth about $30,000.

Gallery: Lakers Rings

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Tags: basketball, championship ring, ChampionshipRing, derek fisher, DerekFisher, kobe bryant, KobeBryant, los angeles lakers, LosAngelesLakers, nba

Kobe Bryant Shows Nubeo Black Mamba Watch At Philippe Restaurant Opening In LA

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Timepieces / Watches

In Hollywood, "openings" are a big deal. A new movie, show, or even restaurant is a social occasion drawing the eyes of the world. The main allure are the celebrities who join the crowd, and of course what they are wearing is hot topic for discussion. This time it was the opening of Philippe Chow's new dining space simply called "Philippe" in West Hollywood. Mr. Chow is perhaps able to draw even larger, celebrity rich crowds, being well-know as a preferred chef among many celebrities both in LA, and to those who travel to enjoy his popular Chinese and Asian Fusion cuisine, at select Philippe restaurant locations.

A major celebrity and of course athlete, Kobe Bryant showed up at the opening in LA. In addition to enjoying the food, the tacitly announces the release of the Nubeo Black Mamba watch collection. Here he is seen wearing a Black Mamba MVP model with black sapphires around the bezel. The Black Mamba line was designed with Kobe's enthusiastic collaboration. For more details about the watch, you can see a hands-on review of the Nubeo Black Mamba watch here.

The large watch looks well-sized on Kobe's admittedly larger wrists, but the timepiece looks good even on smaller wrists given the clever design of the case. Prices for the Black Mamba watches strap at about $25,000 (more for the black sapphire stone covered models). The new Philippe restaurant is bound to be a hot spot for a while to come, and is located in West Hollywood, in Los Angeles, at 8284 Melrose Ave.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: black mamba, BlackMamba, kobe bryant, KobeBryant, mvp, nubeo, philippe, watch