{"id":431505,"date":"2015-02-09T13:15:27","date_gmt":"2015-02-09T18:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=431505"},"modified":"2022-09-15T02:41:19","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T07:41:19","slug":"kobe-chronicles-adidas-eqt-elevation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/kobe-chronicles-adidas-eqt-elevation\/","title":{"rendered":"Kobe Chronicles: adidas EQT Elevation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With NBA All-Star weekend commencing this week\u00a0in the Big Apple it seems fitting that we pay homage to one of the most iconic figures within the NBA today: Kobe Bryant. While unfortunate injuries have robbed the legend of making an appearance in the first All-Star game in NYC since 1998, we decided to showcase some of the Black Mamba&#8217;s greatest All-Star moments in the inaugural edition of the <strong>Kobe Chronicles<\/strong>. With that in mind, we take things back 18 years to the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk contest where teenage Kobe Bryant made history in the <strong>adidas EQT Elevation<\/strong> model.<\/p>\n<p>To see more, flip through the pages below to get a detail history of this stellar Mamba moment.<\/p>\n<h2>Lower Merion Phenom<\/h2>\n<p>Coming out of Lower Merion High School, Kobe Bryant was considered by many to be one of the best prep prospects to emerge from the United States in recent history. With his rare combination of height and skill, Bryant shot up draft boards as his pre-draft workouts with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are among\u00a0NBA pre-draft lore.<\/p>\n<p>During his senior season at the aforementioned Lower Merion High School, Bryant would turn in averages of 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4 steals and 3.8 blocks per game, all while\u00a0garnering McDonald&#8217;s All-American honors, being named the Naismith High School Player of the Year, as well as the Gatorade Men&#8217;s National Basketball Player of the Year.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/F5IOsDZ8CQM?rel=0\" width=\"750\" height=\"563\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>1996 NBA Draft<\/h2>\n<p>After a legendary pre-draft workout against Lakers legend Michael Cooper, in front of then general manager\u00a0Jerry West, the Los Angeles Lakers made a push to acquire the skillful teenager from the Philadelphia suburbs. With the arrival of prized free agent Shaquille\u00a0O&#8217;Neal, the Los Angeles Lakers suddenly had an expendable\u00a0asset in Vlade Divac. With that in mind, the Lakers made a surprising 1996 NBA Draft Day trade as they sent the aforementioned\u00a0Divac to the Charlotte\u00a0Hornets in exchange for Bryant&#8217;s draft rights.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0v2aJdD_L3M?rel=0\" width=\"750\" height=\"563\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Growing Pains<\/h2>\n<p>Upon entering the NBA, Kobe Bryant was so young that his parents had to sign his first contract due to the stellar guard being only 17 years old at the time. As he entered a new realm of life, the growing pains that accompanied him to the NBA were vast. With minimal playing time as he sat behind the likes of Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel, it seemed as though then coach Del Harris wanted to bring Kobe along slowly. However, while Bryant&#8217;s playing time was minimal, the guard would show the world some of his extraordinary talents during the NBA All-Star Weekend in 1997.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eaJMLnt5bdU?rel=0\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest<\/h2>\n<p>Despite enduring a tumultuous first half of his rookie season, plenty of NBA enthusiasts could see the potential star power that Kobe Bryant garnered. This couldn&#8217;t have been any more evident as adidas inked the guard to a lucrative six-year $48-million dollar endorsement deal to rep the Three Stripes insignia. As the 1997 Slam Dunk contest approached, Bryant would take full advantage of the main stage.<\/p>\n<p>With his high school prom date and notable superstar friend Brandy in attendance, Bryant would showcase the adidas EQT Elevation in a vibrant Lakers PE that employed hues of purple and gold throughout its futuristic upper. Bryant would become the youngest winner of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, defeating the likes of Ray Allen and Michael Finley.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UqVibdD3UqA?rel=0\" width=\"750\" height=\"563\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>adidas EQT Elevation<\/h2>\n Photo via Sole Collector\n<p>The adidas EQT Elevation was the model Kobe sported before he secured his own signature line with adidas the very next year. Incorporating a intricately styled upper, this model employs synthetic and mesh materials, along with Microlite striping, a molded EVA midsole and Feet You Wear technology. In addition, the aforementioned model utilizes herringbone traction throughout the outsole for added performance functionality.<\/p>\n<p>The legacy of the adidas EQT Elevation can be rather fleeting at times due to Bryant&#8217;s mainstay with rival company Nike. However, with an abundance of re-runs of Bryant&#8217;s stellar outing in the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk contest and the release of the model back in 2013, the adidas EQT Elevation has grown to become one of the more well regarded adidas basketball models.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With NBA All-Star weekend commencing this week\u00a0in the Big Apple it seems fitting that we pay homage to one of&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":431610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1219126],"tags":[1225889],"cultivate_rss":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.0 (Yoast SEO v24.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Kobe Chronicles: adidas EQT Elevation | Snkrs Day<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Head over to 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