Nike And Kobe Bryant Have Been Very Good For Each Other

Wednesday night was Kobe Bryant's final NBA game. He scored 60 points on 50 shots. You may have heard about it.

As successful as he's been on the court - five NBA championships, third-leading scorer of all time - he's been a huge star off it, especially for Nike Inc NKE.

Nike's relationship with Bryant actually got off to a rocky start.

In July 2003, just days after he signed a five-year $40 million endorsement deal, allegations of a sexual assault by Bryant were made public. But even as his reputation tanked, Nike stuck by its man. At that point, Nike's stock was trading at $6.70. It's hovering around $60 today.

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Over the years Bryant has been a boon for Nike. His various shoe lines, including the Nike Black Mamba Pack, Kobe 9 Elite, and Hyperdunks (which got a nice boost in 2008 after a guerilla ad showed Kobe jumping over a moving Aston Martin while wearing them) have helped Nike grab 90 percent of the market share in footwear. In 2015, as Nike stock rose more than 26 percent for the year, his U.S. shoe sales more than doubled to $105 million.

Nike saluted Bryant this week with "The Conductor," a viral ad that paid tribute to the sure-fire Hall of Famer. And if his current contract is any indication - the $75 million extension he signed in 2014 runs until 2019 - this won't be the last we see of The Black Mamba.

Bryant's other endorsements have included Adidas AG ADDYY, McDonald's Corporation MCD and The Coca-Cola Co KO.