OKC Thunder Forward Teases Upcoming Adidas Kobe 2 Retro

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams debuted the adidas Kobe 2 Retro.

Nov 1, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) drives to the basket against Portland Trailblazers center Deandre Ayton (2) and forward Deni Avdija (8) during the first quarter at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Murphy-Imagn Images / Brian Murphy-Imagn Images

The last time basketball fans saw the adidas Kobe 2 on a basketball court was after the Los Angeles Lakers completed their three-peat by sweeping the New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals.

Despite winning a championship, it was an unceremonious goodbye to Kobe Bryant's most polarizing sneaker. No confetti fell for the away team in Continental Airlines Arena. Bryant famously sulked in the locker room and would later break up with adidas in the off-season.

While the adidas Kobe 2 cannot be blamed entirely for Bryant's decision to leave the iconic German sportswear brand, it certainly played a role. Inspired by the Audi TT Roadster, the futuristic hoop shoe was both clunky and too far ahead of its time (imagine the Tesla Cybertruck on a basketball court).

Major — Jalen Williams debuted a Kobe Two Retro earlier tonight 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/muUiIHAyCr

— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) November 2, 2024

Over the years, adidas has removed signature Kobe branding from the Lakers legend's former sneakers and issued retro releases. But never the adidas Kobe 2, until now.

Before Friday night's game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers, Jalen Williams took part in the team pregame practice in a pair of unreleased adidas Kobe 2 Retro basketball shoes.

The Thunder forward eventually switched sneakers and wore the adidas Harden Vol. 8 in mismatched pink colorways. The Thunder forward signed with adidas before his rookie season in 2022 and has regularly debuted new models ahead of their official release dates.

🤞 pic.twitter.com/tK3xggGyPy

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 1, 2024

Fans got their first look at the adidas Kobe 2 Retro in an understated white and blue colorway. When Bryant wore the sneakers, NBA rules limited the young superstar to wearing them in Lakers colors or neutral tones.

There is no official launch date or tech specs for the adidas Kobe 2, but sneakerheads and old-school basketball fans will line up to purchase these kicks for the first time in over two decades.

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