Swiss luxury watch brand Hublot, which signed on as the Lakers' "official timekeeper" in January, has taken the relationship a step further, announcing Kobe Bryant as its newest brand ambassador and unveiling a limited-edition timepiece called the King Power Black Mamba.
Bryant joins a stable of Hublot brand ambassadors that includes Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, former soccer player Diego Maradona and fellow NBA player Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.
The wristwatch, named in honor of Bryant's "Black Mamba" on-court persona, is packed full of Kobe-specific details, including the number 24 affixed at the 6 o'clock spot, a silver-colored snake curling around the counter at 9 o'clock, Lakers-appropriate gold-plated hands and purple number indicators, and a rubber strap accented with black python. (But since python skin sales are illegal under California law, a brand representative notes that watches sold at Hublot's Beverly Hills boutique will include "alternative strap options.")
Only 250 of the limited-production, $25,200 King Power Black Mamba are being released to Hublot dealers and boutiques worldwide.
Hublot, which likes to include a charitable element with its high-profile celebrity events, followed the March 20 announcement at West Hollywood's London Hotel with some high-stakes hoops, pledging $10,000 to the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation for each basket shot by two kids from After-School All-Stars, Los Angeles (one of the foundation's beneficiaries). Kimberly Martinez, 7, and Juan Valencia, 8, were decked out in Hublot-emblazoned basketball jerseys and shorts and sported brand-new Nike sneakers as they tried to sink the ball on a makeshift court built over the London Hotel's rooftop pool, while Bryant, in full Coach Kobe mode, offered vocal support.
Juan made two buckets, earning a $20,000 donation, while Kimberly struggled at the line - until Bryant stepped in for the assist, scooping the little girl up and hoisting her to the rim, where she easily scored the final $10,000 basket.
In addition to the $30,000 - presented by Hublot Chief Executive Ricardo Guadalupe to Kobe and Vanessa Bryant afterward in the form of an outsized check - Hublot has pledged to donate a portion of proceeds from sales of the Black Mamba watches to the Bryants' foundation.
• Read more articles by ADAM TSCHORN
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