{"id":1231173,"date":"2023-08-23T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=1231173"},"modified":"2023-08-23T02:43:51","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T07:43:51","slug":"nike-kobe-pes-we-want-released","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/nike-kobe-pes-we-want-released\/","title":{"rendered":"Nike Kobe PEs We Want Released"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
(Lead image via Cato Cataldo\/Getty<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Nike Kobe<\/a> line is officially back as the Swoosh and Vanessa Bryant get ready to relaunch the signature series on Kobe\u2019s birthday, August 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The return of the Nike Kobe line gives fans and aspiring ballers everywhere the chance to celebrate the life and legacy of Kobe Bryant, while also having access to some of the best performance sneakers in the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Kobe’s death, only a few players have been honored to carry forth the Nike Kobe torch, with standouts like Anthony Davis, PJ Tucker, Devin Booker, Malik Monk, and DeMar DeRozan regularly sporting Nike Kobe PEs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Putting his shoes on, every time I go out, I represent him,” said PJ Tucker in an interview with Boardroom<\/a><\/em>. As the NBA’s resident sneakerhead and former Kobe competitor, it’s been an honor for PJ to carry on the Mamba’s legacy through his Nike Kobe PEs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “The hard work that I put in, that he put in, to be able to do this \u2013 I can\u2019t let him down,” said PJ. “You wear it a little more on your sleeve since then. It\u2019s something definitely personal, that I cherish for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a childhood mentee of Kobe, DeMar DeRozan shares this same sentiment with PJ as the Compton-native grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant and fostered a special relationship with Kobe after attending one of his youth camps when he was 15-years-old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It started with little conversations like, ‘Do this, do this,’ next thing you know — it started to slowly turn into a whole different type of relationship that came from respect to me being an athlete, and really paying attention to everything he said,” said DeRozan in an interview with Paul George<\/a>. “By the time I was senior in high school, I\u2019m getting his shoes, personally. He [gave] me his shoes like, ‘Play in these.'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n DeRozan and Kobe continued to have a close friendship throughout the years and even competed against each other as DeRozan was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in 2009. DeRozan recalled a memorable moment<\/a> playing against Kobe during his Raptors era when he decided to opt out of wearing Kobes and faced the Black Mamba wearing Jordans instead. Without any hesitation, Kobe approached DeRozan on the court and said, “Oh, that’s what we’re doing m*therf*cker?” Kobe showed no mercy to DeRozan that night and hit the game-winning shot in Toronto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There will only ever be one Kobe, but countless players have been inspired by his gameplay, with Devin Booker attacking the Black Mamba head on in his early days with the Phoenix Suns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Playing against Booker, he went straight to my move,” said Kobe in an interview<\/a> after his final game in Phoenix. “You’re not going to beat me on my move, [Booker], but it was great to see.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following that game, Kobe signed Booker’s pair of Nike Kobe 11 Elite Lows with an eternal message — “Be legendary” — that Booker has since incorporated into his various Nike Kobe PEs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Malik Monk is another Mamba maniac and is rumored to have over 200 pairs of Nike Kobe sneakers. The Sacramento Kings player cites Kobe’s sneakers as an absolute must-have for gametime saying<\/a>, “Kobes. I only wear Kobes. These are the god of shoes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Out of the select few chosen to carry on the Mamba’s legacy through his Nike Kobe PEs, Anthony Davis is the only Laker, who unfortunately never got the chance to play alongside Kobe in Los Angeles. The two got to play together on Team USA during the 2012 Olympics, but Davis didn’t join the Lakers until 2019, three years after Kobe’s retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Being someone that [knew] him since I stepped foot in the league, all the way back to the USA team, seeing everything he did on the floor, off the floor kind of inspired me to follow that same path and have that same work ethic,” said Davis in an interview with the Los Angeles Times<\/a>. “Being here in a Laker uniform, it’s even more inspiring for me to try to continue the legacy that he built here. He’s the guy that everyone looked up to and wanted to be like.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Mamba fanatics get ready for the Nike Kobe relaunch, which kicks off with the Nike Kobe 8 Protro \u201cHalo,\u201d<\/a> <\/strong>Snkrs Day selects 15 Nike Kobe PEs that we would like to see release amidst the Nike Kobe revival.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWith Anthony Davis\u2019 \u201cReverse Grinch\u201d<\/a> releasing later this year, here are other Mamba kicks we want Nike<\/a> to put into production.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nNike Kobe 4 Protro PE \u201cDrew Aid\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n