John Kim 
Mamba Day was a monumental day for sports, social media, and sports outfitter Nike. As the Black Mamba walked off into the sunset with a mind-boggling 60-point performance, the numbers off the court were equally impressive; nike suede confirms a complete 100% sell-through of the Kobe 11 “Mamba Day” iD shoe, becoming the most successful launch on the platform. In addition, the Mamba Day numbers on Twitter and other social channels were ground-breaking, with 2.87 milion uses of #MambaDay, 45 million views of “The Conductor” on a global level, and over 400,000 Mamba Day Generator posters created by fans.
Gotta hand it to nike suede for its excellent work in amplifying Kobe’s retirement into a day-long celebration and viral takeover. The most memorable part of Kobe’s retirement on the sneaker front is undoubtedly the “Black Mamba” aka “Fade To Black” Collection, which was undeniably one of nike suede Basketball’s best releases in recent memory and currently the hottest ticket on the market. We’ll all look back at April 13th, 2016 as a historic day in sports and swoosh history.
