Kobe Bryant's estate has reached a new long-term contract with Nike to continue producing both footwear and apparel from Bryant's Zoom Kobe series, Vanessa Bryant and Nike announced on Thursday. The news comes nearly a year after Kobe Bryant's initial endorsement deal with Nike expired.

Mamba Forever. That's how Nike announced the relaunch of Kobe Bryant's iconic shoe line.

Kobe left Adidas for Nike soon after the release of the KOBE TWO (yes, it was that bad), thus beginning a new era in Mamba sneakerdom. Ongoing legal trouble prevented Bryant from being given his own signature shoe line, so he turned to a generic Nike shoe - the Huarache 2K4.

However, considering Kobe's shoes are still immensely popular among players across the NBA, WNBA, and college ranks, as well with sneaker collectors (some Kobe models now selling for thousands of dollars), it is probably safe to assume it is worth a lot more than the $10 million per year Nike was paying Kobe during his ...

April 2021 Kobe Bryant's contract with Nike expired in April 2021 after 18 years when the sports apparel company and Vanessa Bryant failed to reach an agreement.

Suddenly, finding a Kobe sneaker at a decent price became impossible. His death almost forced Nike to stop producing the sneakers and more branded articles. But a recent development will have all of the Black Mamba's fans over the moon.

Check out the entire list below, and let us know what your favorite pair is.

• Nike Zoom Kobe 5 "Prelude"
• Nike Zoom Kobe 5 "Dark Knight"
• Nike Zoom Kobe 7 Supreme "Christmas"
• Nike Zoom Kobe 6 "3D"
• Nike Zoom Kobe 5 "5 Rings"
• Nike Kobe 6 Protro "Mambacita Sweet 16"
• Nike Zoom Kobe 4 "Draft Day"

Nike and Vanessa Bryant announced the company will begin releasing new Bryant shoes on Aug. 23, with the Kobe 8 "Halo" being first to hit the market. This will mark the first release under the Kobe name since the late Los Angeles Lakers legend's contract with Nike expired in April 2021.

2003 Bryant signed with Nike in 2003, and the two partners created arguably the most popular performance basketball shoe lines of all time. Bryant's prodigious work ethic and attention to detail did not cease when he stepped off the court.

According to a source, Bryant and the estate had grown frustrated with Nike limiting the availability of Kobe products during his retirement and after his January 2020 death in a helicopter crash. There was also frustration with the lack of availability of Kobe footwear in kids' sizes, according to sources.

Kobe Bryant's Career Earnings Kobe played for the LA Lakers throughout his NBA career and earned over $328 million.

1. Michael Jordan and Nike: $1.3 billion. The Michael Jordan and Nike partnership is one of the most famous and lucrative sponsorship deals of all time, let alone sports sponsorship deals.