Jaylen Brown is one of the biggest NBA stars today. He’s a one-time NBA champion, a one-time NBA Finals MVP, and a five-time NBA All-Star.
While many superstars have signature shoes from brands like Nike and Adidas, Brown decided to take a different path and create his own brand.
Kobe Bryant Inspired Jaylen Brown To Start His Shoe Company
Now the CEO of his own company, 741 Performance, Brown recently shared what enabled him to move away from partnering with other brands.
On September 25, 2024, Brown unveiled his independent sneaker brand, 741 Performance. Brown was initially partnered up with Adidas before deciding to part ways in 2021. From that point until the establishment of 741 Performance, Brown was a sneaker-free agent for three years.
Apparently, in a recent interview with Brown, the Celtics star revealed that it was the late Kobe Bryant who inspired him to start his own shoe brand. He saw the beauty and the empowering side of being independent rather than representing brands you don’t own.
“I really created it because I was inspired from Kobe,” Brown said. “At one point he had left the company he was at, and now was kind of exploring what he wanted to do in his future. Maybe in China? He was exploring what that could look like and then he passed away before he could kinda of get everything off the ground.”
“Me knowing that and talking to people about that gave me the inspiration to kind of pick up where (Kobe Bryant) left off,” Brown added. “Trying to empower athletes to have better deals, better percentages.”
Jaylen Brown says Kobe Bryant inspired him to launch his own shoe brand.
“I really created it because I was inspired from Kobe… Trying to empower athletes to have better deals, better percentages.” pic.twitter.com/YGyrdg13r2
— Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady (@VinceAndTmac) March 16, 2026
Back in December of 2019, while Bryant hadn’t left Nike yet, he was already exploring his options for what was supposed to be his own sneaker company called Mamba Brand. According to previous reports, Bryant met with venture capitalists who could help him bring his shoe brand to life.
Unfortunately, Mamba Brand never got to see the light of day after Bryant passed away on Jan. 26, 2020, in a devastating helicopter crash.
It was later revealed that there was some tension between Bryant and Nike why the Los Angeles Lakers legend opted to start his own brand instead.
Ultimately, Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, continued his legacy with Nike and established a new long-term deal with the company in March 2022, relaunching all of the legend’s merchandise.
