Nike has done everything it can to pull out all the stops in wishing Kobe Bryant farewell, and the pinnacle of those efforts is a new TV ad in which Bryant stands at center court and conducts of symphony of fans and foes hating on his role in crushing their dreams.
As Bryant contentedly conducts the arena, a number of fans representing teams stand up. They represent franchises that have suffered at the hands of Kobe's greatness: the Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics.
Among those fans, there are also some familiar faces: Paul Pierce, for example, and Rasheed Wallace, who is far better a singer than you might have imagined.
Nike even gets Phil Jackson to tickle the ivories. Kobe's final symphony is Nike's masterpiece:
And it's impossible to overlook the timing of the video's release. Nike tweeted out the video at 8:24 a.m. PST on Wednesday, a clear tribute to Bryant and the two uniform numbers he wore over his career.
Happy Mamba Day. And Kobe: Thanks for making us hate you.
