Why did Adidas part ways with Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant last year?
He then went on to sign a big endorsement deal with Nike, which has said little since his legal problems regarding an alleged rape. A: Kobe is definitely one of the best players in the NBA. But we and Kobe had different opinions about direction. Obviously, we want to do things that are good for the brand and our company, and Kobe had more in his head — things to do which are good for him. We couldn’t come to an agreement, and then we said it is better that we separate. Q: What is Adidas’ strategy? A: We have to stick to our mission to become the leading sports brand in the world. This doesn’t mean we want to be the biggest one — but the leader in how we bring products to the markets, in what the products do for the athletes, how we service them. We’re a sports-performance brand. Those are our roots. Whatever we do, it has to be focused on sports performance. We definitely won’t become a fashion brand or a fashion company. Q: How is the competition shaping up? A: It’s more or less a t
