Kobe Bryant's Love For Philly Eagles Inspired Pair Of Nike Protros

Celebs At The Lakers Game — Source: Vince Bucci / Getty

The late Kobe Bryant was revered by other athletes, but he himself was a fan of his hometown football team, the Philadelphia Eagles. He lived to see the Eagles defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII, celebrating the victory in a viral clip.

His widow, Vanessa Bryant, is keeping his legacy alive with the latest Nike Kobe Protro release, paying homage to his love for the team. The shoe is being released in January with what Sneaker News described as a “pine green suede and white pebbled leather across the main portion of the upper with the swoosh…in vast grey chenille fabric with stitched white piping.”

First released in 2018, Bryant named the Protros to reflect a combination of ‘performance’ and ‘retro.’ The idea was to keep the clean, classic look of the Zoom Kobe 1s, while updating the shoe’s inner core to reflect advancements in sneaker technology.

Bryant may have been partly responsible for the Eagles’ success. In December 2017, a few months before they won the chip for the first time in its history, Bryant visited the team when they were in Southern California to face the Rams.

Former Eagle and Super Bowl champion Rodney McLeod said Bryant shared what it took to win.

“A killer mentality,” McLeod said. “He said literally every time he stepped on that court, he wanted to be the best. He wanted to go out there and kill the guy lining up across from them and make him feel like he didn’t deserve to be on the court. Like literally, those were his words.

McLeod added, “He wanted to make them feel like they shouldn’t be a basketball player, they should be an accountant. That’s what he said. And you see it when you watch him play. When you have that mindset, it’s hard to beat a guy like that.”

Other colorways include a Protro 6 with a polka dot “Disney” colorway, likely based on the couple’s longtime love of all things Disney, the “Bellisima” Kobe 6, covered in roses, and the Kobe 9 Low “Dusty Pink” and “CA Mountain Snake” shoes. The Kobe 9 Elite High looks like it was inspired by superheroes, given its color and design.

Bryant shared the photos on her Instagram Stories this week, but no word yet on the actual release dates or if the shoes are prototypes or will actually be produced.