Hublot Names Kobe Bryant Its Newest Ambassador

Ricardo Guadalupe, Hublot CEO, with Kobe Bryant.

Swiss luxury watch brand, Hublot, has named Los Angeles Lakers’ star shooting guard, Kobe Bryant, is its newest ambassador. To commemorate the partnership, Hublot released Kobe’s signature timepiece, the limited edition King Power Black Mamba.

“Bryant was the perfect choice for Hublot—a brand known for its precision and excellence, traits that have characterized the basketball icon’s celebrated career,” said Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot.

Hublot is enhancing its alliance with Bryant through its support of the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of youth and families in need by providing financial resources for like-minded organizations.

Kobe Bryant King Power Black Mamba

The announcement was made Wednesday on the rooftop of The London Hotel West Hollywood. Guadalupe presented Bryant with the Limited Edition King Power Black Mamba. This was followed by a shoot-off with two children from After-School All Stars Los Angeles, a charitable beneficiary of the Bryant Family Foundation. Taking shots from a makeshift basketball court constructed over the hotel’s rooftop pool, the contest raised $30,000 for the program.

A dinner afterward was attended by several celebrities, including Zac Efron, Jimmy Kimmel, and Mark Salling.

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Jason of Beverly Hills Has a Ball Designing LA Lakers Championship Rings

All members of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball organization received their second consecutive championship rings before the team’s opening game on October 26 at the Staples Center. In what is becoming a tradition, the rings, for the second straight year, were design by Jason of Beverly Hills. But this year, Jason Arasheben, CEO of jeweler known for its celebrity clientele, added something new by adorning each ring with a piece the actual ball used in game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals.

The underside of each ring contains a piece of the championship game ball

It’s the Lakers 16th NBA championship. To mark this milestone, Arasheben made the rings out of a custom batch of 16k gold and placed eight oversized round brilliant white diamonds around the top and bottom edge of each ring, totaling 16. Diamond pave is used for the center of the ring. Over the diamonds is the design of a basketball and the Lakers’ names made of gold. The front of the ring is finished with a gold replica of a championship trophy on each side, commemorating the back-to-back championships.

One side of the ring is etched with a replica of a scoreboard with the final score of the championship game. On the other side is used to personalize each ring with a three-dimensional sculpture of their face. The piece of the game-day basketball appears on the underside of each ring.

“More than any other year, this year’s ring allows the owner to relive and own a piece of Lakers’ history with the leather from the Game 7 ball,” Arasheben said.

At the ceremony, each ring was presented in custom boxes, containing a rotating platform and LED lights to display the rings. Players, coaches, owners and staff members received rings.