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Fans shunning Kobe Bryant's jersey
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-07 08:59
Kobe Bryant is no longer a fashion icon. For the last month, Bryant's No. 8
Lakers jersey — previously one of the best sellers in the world — has fallen out
of the top 50, according to point-of-sale data tabulated by a Florida market
research firm.
![Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant watches his missed shot at the end of overtime against the Miami Heat, Dec. 25, 2004, in Los Angeles. [AP]](xin_140102070905089308052.jpg)
Los Angeles Lakers'
Kobe Bryant watches his missed shot at the end of overtime against the
Miami Heat, Dec. 25, 2004, in Los Angeles.
[AP] | Bryant's NBA jersey was still the
10th-highest selling jersey for the year, but he finished the month of December
at No. 72 — and in one week plunged to No. 90, a drastic slide for the player
many once saw as the sport's next marketing golden boy.
"I would never have thought it would have dropped off like this," said Neil
Schwartz, director of marketing and business development for SportsScanINFO in
West Palm Beach, which tracks weekly sales data from sporting goods retailers
nationwide.
Bryant's marketability has likely been hurt by the flurry of bad press he's
been receiving lately, analysts say. It began with his rape case and included
his feud with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, his spat with current teammate
Karl Malone and a new book by former coach Phil Jackson that portrays Bryant as
an aloof prima donna.
Before the season started, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat and Jackson
retired — departures that many fans have blamed on Bryant.
"I was a big fan, but I just can't wear his jersey anymore," said Patrick
Buan, 27, of Victorville, Calif., who last month put up for sale his four Bryant
jerseys on eBay.
Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, did not return calls seeking comment. Nike Inc.,
Bryant's main sponsor, also declined to comment, saying only that Bryant remains
under contract with the company.
Officials at AEG, the Lakers' parent company, said sales of Bryant's jersey
had dipped noticeably at the store in Staples Center in recent weeks. They said
the problem began early this summer as Bryant prepared to face criminal rape
charges — which were later dropped after his accuser said she did not want to
participate in the trial.
"He's such a significant player that we weren't willing to make all those
goods and have him go to jail," said Alan Fey, vice president of merchandising
for AEG.
Schwartz said Bryant's legal troubles could account for a drop in sales in
the summer and possibly at the beginning of the season — but not in December.
In June — when the preparations for Bryant's rape trial were going full tilt
— three of Bryant's jerseys occupied the first, third and fifth spots in terms
of units sold, according to Schwartz, whose company tallies numbers from a wide
range of retailers, including JC Penny, Sears and Sports Chalet.
Industry insiders say that while fans may have been willing to look the other
way during the rape scandal, they seem far less willing to forgive him now for
what they see as the breakup of a championship team.
"I think a lot of people were understanding of the rape trial, because there
are a lot of cases of players being entrapped," said Bob Dorfman, executive vice
president of Pickett Advertising in San Francisco. "But it's all about winning —
that's what tickles the cash register. When he jeopardized that by singlehandely
blowing apart the team, it was the final straw for a lot of people."
The drop in sales is being felt in a wide variety of retail venues — from
small sporting good chains to the Lakers' memorabilia hub at Staples Center.
"Kobe's jersey was a core part of our business — and now with the team going
in the direction it has, we've ordered less and seen less of a demand," said
Mike Batt, general manager of Fanzz in Salt Lake City, a sporting goods retail
chain with 32 stores.
The drop in sales is bad news for Nike Inc., based in Beaverton, Ore., which
sank a reported $40 million into a multiyear contract with Bryant.
While Nike does not make his jersey — Massachusetts-based Reebok, Inc.
recently bought the licensing rights to all NBA player jerseys from Nike — the
decline is further evidence that they may not see a return on their investment.
While both McDonald's and Nutella have since dropped him, Nike has stood by
Bryant, but has yet to use him in a single ad, even in ones touting Bryant's own
shoe.
Nike spokesman Rodney Knox declined to say whether the manufacturer intends
to use him in future campaigns.
"There's too much at stake for Nike to want to tarnish their brand image by
using him," said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing
Center at the University of Oregon.
While the drop in sales is surprising, it's unlikely to make a dent in
Bryant's personal fortune. In June, Forbes.Com ranked him as the 10th
highest-paid celebrity of 2004, earning $26.1 million from June 2003 to June
2004 in salaries, bonuses, prize money, appearance fees — as well as his Nike
endorsement.
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