Nike celebrates Bryant by asking us to Mamba Better

Yesterday [August 23] would have been basketball legend Kobe Bryant's 42nd birthday and, to celebrate that fact, along with the launch of Mamba Week, Nike has released this emotional spot. 

Bryant, who died along with his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash in January of this year, was a star of the game and one of Nike's stable of top athletes. The weeklong slate of programming and product launches will mark the first time Nike has released Bryant's signature footwear or jerseys since his death but, according to a story on ESPN, "after a series of planning meetings that spanned months, Nike has confirmed an ongoing commitment to celebrating Bryant through product releases that will ultimately benefit funding for youth sports initiatives".

Th spot, called Mamba Better, was created by W+K Portland, directed by PRETTYBIRD's Melina Matsoukas and edited by Robert Duffy of Spot Welders, and features a voice over from Kendrick Lamar telling us how Bryant taught people to be better in all aspects of their lives, both on and off the sports field.