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

The Black Mamba was created for Michael Jordan before Kobe Bryant made it legendary originally appeared on The Sporting News.

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 ...

Kobe Bryant’s “Black Mamba” moniker has become one of the most popular nicknames in sports history, but it was originally meant to be Michael Jordan’s. An ESPN story confirmed a longstanding rumor ...

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