Even though it has been eight years since the Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant played his final game in the NBA, The Mamba’s legacy of inspiration continues to live on in the hearts of NBA fans.

 

Every year that Kobe Bryant and the Lakers participated in the NBA showcase on Christmas Day, it quickly became a spectacle. Now, ten years later, Nike is bringing back one of his famous Christmas Day sneakers. For more forthcoming releases and breaking content, check out our Sneakers news!

 

In their Christmas Day game on December 25, 2014, the Chicago Bulls (20-9) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (9-20), winning 113-93. Due to his achilles tendon injury, Kobe Bryant was unable to play; in his place, Pau Gasol, a former teammate, led the Bulls with a game-high 23 points.

 

The Nike Kobe 9 Elite was made available in an all-red hue for the holiday one day later. Nike made the decision to design the safest basketball sneaker they could with an enlarged ankle cuff after Bryant suffered an achilles injury. Although hoopers initially doubted their appropriateness for street wear, they soon realized how much their stability helped. These were the first sneakers in the Nike Kobe series not to be low-cut. Most notably, before he signed a contract with the company, Ja Morant was an enormous fan of the Kobe 9 Elite.

 

Regarding this release, Nike is going to take a trip down memory lane by releasing a Kobe 9 Elite Protro version for the Christmas colorway, dating back ten years. It would be interesting to watch how the shoes are welcomed this time around when they release during the holidays of 2024. Although Nike has consistently released retro and pre-release versions of previous Kobe sneakers, this specific style has not changed much since its 2014–15 launch.

 

 

The outsole of the Nike Kobe 9 Elite is equipped with the same Nike Zoom technology that is present in all of Kobe’s sneakers. The soft Flyknit material used to make the uppers is designed to conform to the wearer’s foot. In order to guarantee stability through the achilles tendon, the high-top has extra cushioning in the heel and tongue. To help further secure the foot in place, the midsole also has an elevated heel plate.

 

Although there are many different color combinations possible with the Flyknit material, this all-red version seemed appropriate for the holiday and the Laker’s game against the Bulls. This exact colorway of the sneakers has been seen on DeMar DeRozan during Bulls games, so it’s great to see them go a full circle and get an updated release.

 

 

Although Nike has not confirmed anything, we should anticipate seeing these around Christmas 2024. The shoes are anticipated to retail for $250 and are designed exclusively for basketball performance. They may only be offered in extremely small amounts at Nike stores and should be available on the Nike SNKRS app.