Before Kobe Bryant rocketed to international stardom as a five-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, he was an on-the-rise high school basketball player who Adidas had the foresight to sign an endorsement deal.
While NBA players paid tribute to Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash Sunday, on social media, former Adidas America president and chief executive officer Steve Wynne spoke of his athleticism and unwavering presence in an interview with WWD. He credited the company’s “basketball guru” Sonny Vaccaro for recognizing Bryant’s big-time potential. Wynne said, “He told us when Kobe was in one of our camps at the age of 15 or 16, ‘This kid is going to be one of the best players ever.’”
Recalling how Bryant was in his final semester in high school when Adidas inked a deal with him in 1996, Wynne said, “When I finally met Kobe, you realized the basketball talent was there. When people like Sonny make statements like that, you know that it is self-evident. But what was most impressive about him was his presence. This was a really smart, very thoughtful and very dedicated individual. He had a presence unlike any 18-year-old that I had ever met. You

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