Throughout my career leading marketing organizations for footwear giants like Foot Locker, adidas America and Fleet Feet, I've had the privilege of meeting some of sports' biggest legends and have learned a lot about the common traits that often separate the good from the great. From NFL Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, and Deion Sanders, to NBA icons like Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan, to baseball immortals such as Hank Aaron and Ken Griffey Jr., and track & field / running legends like Carl Lewis, Eamonn Coghlan, and Meb Keflezighi. Yet the encounter that taught me the most profound business and life lessons came from meeting someone I initially doubted would even complete a single professional season.
The year was 1996. As head of marketing communications for adidas in the US, I found myself seriously questioning our sports marketing team's bold decision. They had just signed a contract with a skinny 17-year-old high school kid who had the audacity to skip college entirely and declare for the NBA draft. Following Nike's successful playbook with Michael Jordan, we had committed to giving this unproven teenager a signature shoe and a massive marketing campaign. He would be the centerpiece of our global basketball strategy.
That teenager's name? Kobe Bryant.
The Day It All Started to Make Sense
In an effort to learn more about Kobe and to develop the storyline for our marketing programs, our small team traveled to meet Kobe and his family in their hometown of Philadelphia. My skepticism evaporated during a video shoot we had arranged at Lower Merion High School, where Kobe had just graduated. What I witnessed that day certainly changed my perspective on Kobe and cemented my understanding of what our sports marketing team saw in him. And what he went on to accomplish in his storied basketball career fundamentally changed my perspective on the conditions that are necessary to unlock greatness, in both sports and business.
Even after years of working with established NBA All-Stars, I was stunned by what I saw on the court that day. During what was supposed to be "just a video shoot," Kobe displayed not only an advanced skill level, but also a competitive fire that was almost palpable. Under the guidance of his father, former NBA player for the Philadelphia 76ers, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, Kobe went through an intensive workout that showcased his determination, focus, and incredible self-confidence.
During a one-on-one drill we were filming, Joe – still considerably bigger and stronger (and a far more accomplished trash-talker) – accidentally split his son's lip. Blood dripping down his chin, Kobe barely flinched. He attacked with even greater intensity, eventually beating his father with an impossible spinning reverse layup while absorbing heavy contact. That moment revealed everything: the foundation of Kobe's legendary tenacity - witnessed later by millions over two decades in the NBA - was forged in countless battles like this one with his father, long before the world knew his name.
Innovation and Its Challenges
This story intertwines with another important business lesson about innovation and failure. For Kobe's first shoes, the Top Ten 2000 and the KB 8, adidas tied them to a revolutionary concept called Feet You Wear. The premise was simple yet ambitious: traditional sports shoes weren't performing as well as the human foot because of their flat bottoms and sharp edges. The solution was to create shoes with more rounded outsoles that better mimicked the human foot's natural shape and movement.
Initial results were promising. Athletes from multiple sports reported improved ability to pivot and change directions, with reduced stress on their ankles during lateral movements. Lab measurements confirmed it as well. However, our shoe developers soon encountered the law of unintended consequences. Word got back to us that the ground forces that were directed away from the ankles might now be getting transferred up the kinetic chain, impacting the knees. Due to concerns about knee or muscle injuries, and other business reasons, we eventually had to shelve the entire project. Although that particular innovation fell short, adidas America grew tremendously over the following three years, rising from very low footwear market share to the number two performance brand in the US.
Universal Lessons for Business and Life
Looking back on that transformative period, three enduring lessons stand out that apply equally to business, sports... and life:
- Reserve Judgment: First impressions, while powerful, can be deceiving. Whether evaluating a young athlete or a new business opportunity, it's crucial to gather and analyze all the facts before making definitive judgments. Kobe (and his shoes) taught me that potential isn't always visible at first glance.
- Embrace Failure as Progress: Innovation often leads to failure, but failure isn't permanent—it's simply another step toward success. Our Feet You Wear technology didn't succeed as planned, but the insights gained contributed to future innovations. Just as athletes must persist through setbacks to achieve greatness, businesses must view failures as learning opportunities.
- Champion Relentless Drive: What set Kobe apart that day, and throughout his career, wasn't just his raw talent—it was his unprecedented work ethic and intensity, even during a simple photo shoot or team practice. In business as in sports, success comes not just from talent or good ideas, but from a commitment to excellence in every single action.
In retrospect, what better embodiment of these principles could there be than Kobe Bryant himself? That skinny teenager I doubted went on to become one of the NBA’s all-time greatest players, demonstrating that with grit, determination, and an unshakeable “Mamba” mentality, anything is possible.
In today's business landscape, where young entrepreneurs and innovative ideas are often met with skepticism, these lessons remain more relevant than ever. Whether in sports or business, success rarely follows a straight line. It's our response to setbacks, our careful judgment of opportunities, and our relentless pursuit of excellence that ultimately determine our success.