NBA superstar Kobe Bryant teams up with Alibaba in new China venture

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has struck a wide-ranging deal with a new start-up founded by basketball superstar Kobe Bryant.

Bryant's first project with Alibaba involves the exclusive release in mainland China of his self-produced video documentary, Kobe Bryant's Muse, on August 8 through the Chinese firm's Tmall Magic Box, a widely used digital home entertainment system in the country.

“Kobe is an innovative entrepreneur who has established a legacy that extends far beyond the basketball court, and is someone who can bring positive impact to the players and fans of basketball in China," Jack Ma Yun, Alibaba's lead founder and executive chairman, said on Monday.

Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed affiliate, Alibaba Pictures, will also collaborate with Bryant in developing the athlete's branded products and distribute these through the group's online retail platforms Tmall.com and Taobao Marketplace, which have more than 350 million combined active buyers throughout the country.

Bryant, who is expected to play his final season from October with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), set up his sports-focused company Kobe Inc in 2013.

"We want to own and help grow brands and ideas that challenge and redefine the sports industry while inspiring," Bryant said in an interview with ESPN.com in March last year.