Final answer:
The correct answer is option b) Adidas.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first company to sponsor Kobe Bryant was Adidas. Bryant signed with Adidas shortly after he entered the NBA, coming straight out of high school in 1996. This sponsorship deal was significant at the time as it signaled Adidas' intention to compete with Nike in the basketball sneaker market.
After his initial deal with Adidas, Kobe Bryant eventually went on to sign with Nike in 2003, where he remained for the rest of his career and continued to have signature shoes released posthumously.