February 16, 2006 @ 9:00 am

Kobe's Nike Ad Helps Win Back Fans

Mark Lelinwalla

right Bryant’s first televised ad for Nike debuted last Thursday, with himself narrating: "Love me or hate me, it's one or the other. Always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved, for the exact same reasons," Bryant says in the ad.

Nike’s willingness to work with Bryant combined with his on-court prowess, should result in more endorsements for the Los Angeles Laker. Bryant wants the fans, especially the hip-hop youth to embrace him.

On Jan. 22, Bryant scored an amazing 81 points, the second-highest individual output in NBA history.

"It’s my duty to help (our youth) understand that falling is a part of life and getting up is a way of life," Bryant told ESPN.

So far, Bryant’s message seems to already be understood. Bryant received 2,271,631 votes from his fans to start at Sunday's NBA All-Star game, finishing second to only Yao Ming.

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Article tags: Kobe Bryant, Nike, Yao Ming, La Lakers, Los Angeles, Basketball 

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