Nike Teases Kobe Sneaker Release On Thursday

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant's Nike sneakers will enjoy a shock drop on December 21.

For almost four years, loyal fans of the late-great Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant have had a tough time purchasing his signature sneakers at the retail price. While many of us are coming off yet another loss last week, there is no time to get down.

On Wednesday afternoon, the official Nike Basketball Instagram account posted a story which teased a shock drop of Bryant's sneakers. The first story read "12.21" and the second was a picture of Bryant's face from the 2012 Summer Olympics with the Mamba logo. Check out the screenshot below.

Nike's Instagram story teasing Kobe Bryant's sneaker release / @NikeBasketball

The not-so-subtle hint leads us to believe that Nike will drop some heat for the holidays. It could be more Nike Kobe 6 Protro 'Reverse Grinch' stock (unlikely) or it could be the first release of the all-black Nike Kobe 4 Protro 'Gift of the Mamba.' 

Either way, sneakerheads should be logged onto to their Nike SNKRS app on the morning of Thursday, December 21. Will there be enough stock for everyone? Recent history says no, although Vanessa Bryant has addressed the concerns of fans about increasing the number of sneakers produced. 

As someone who has yet to hit on a Nike Kobe sneaker release, I'm going after it the same way that Bryant dove for a loose ball in the first game of the 2007 FIBA Americas game against Venezuela. We try to have a tone-setting mindset here at FanNation Kicks. Good luck to all the athletes and fans who try to get some of the ultra-rare basketball shoes tomorrow.

Update

Thursday morning came and went without a single sneaker being released. Instead, Nike marked December 21 as the start of a new marketing campaign. In addition to new "That’s Mamba" billboards going up near Madison Square Garden, Nike posted a video to its social media channels showing a young basketball player with a broken arm playing in the unreleased all-black Nike Kobe 4 Protro 'Gift of the Mamba.' It looks like fans will have to remain patient for another sneaker release.

Are you going to put in reps or excuses?#Kobe #MambaMentality #ThatsMamba💪 pic.twitter.com/BWQoKBdrcz

— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) December 21, 2023

The Nike Kobe 9 Elite 'Christmas' Returns Next Holiday Season