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Miguel Rojas Warms Up for World Series in Nike Kobe Sneakers

Miguel Rojas is channeling the "Mamba Mentality" before each World Series game.

Pat Benson

Oct 24, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas (11) during the team workout prior to game one of the World Series against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Oct 24, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas (11) during the team workout prior to game one of the World Series against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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Basketball legend Kobe Bryant's impact across sports at all levels cannot be overstated. The Los Angeles Lakers legend's presence is uniquely felt in Southern California and in the sneaker world.

Look no further than Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas. The veteran infielder is a Nike athlete who regularly rocks retro sneakers from Bryant's signature line.

Sure, the Nike Kobe line is designed for the basketball court. But that has not stopped football players from having the shoes customized into cleats or baseball players from wearing the sneakers in the infield dirt like Rojas.

So far, Rojas has worn the same newly-released Nike Kobe sneakers before multiple games of the 2024 World Series. It is the Nike Kobe 5 Protro "X-Ray" colorway, which was released on October 17 for $190 in adult sizes. The Halloween-themed sneakers now have an average resale price of $278 on StockX.

The shoes sport an X-Ray graphic on the upper and glow-in-the-dark outsoles. The design draws inspiration from Bryant and Nike's "Broken Not Beaten" campaign from 2011. It was an exciting marketing campaign at the height of Kobe's global popularity and it delivered.

The Dodgers need two more wins to win their second World Series Championship in four years. Knowing how superstitious baseball players can be, it is safe to expect Rojas to continue rocking his Nike Kobe sneakers before each game.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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