Undefeated Announces Nike Kobe 5 Protro Collaboration for ‘Mamba Week’

Victor Deng
·3 min read

Nike’s “Mamba Week” celebrations in honor of the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant continue with a new sneaker collaboration with Undefeated.

The Los Angeles-based boutique has shared new information on its “What If?” multi-sneaker pack featuring two colorways of the Nike Kobe 5 Protro that pay homage to the events from the 1996 NBA Draft, which Bryant was selected as the 13th pick. The “Dirty Dozen” makeup wears a multicolored palette inspired by the franchises that passed up on drafting him while the “Unlucky 13” iteration pays tribute to the Charlotte Hornets team that selected him but ultimately traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers where he played 20 seasons.

The shoes feature a premium Cordura fabric on the upper that’s paired with overlays inspired by his “Black Mamba” nickname, as well as gold Swoosh branding on the sides. Capping off the look are white midsoles cushioned with responsive Zoom Air units along with translucent rubber outsoles for grip.

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Some of Bryant’s notable accomplishments while playing for the Lakers include winning the NBA championship five times where he was named the Finals MVP twice, a regular-season MVP, named an NBA All-Star 18 times, and more.

The raffle for Undefeated’s Nike Kobe 5 Protro “What If?” pack is open now on Undefeated.com ahead of its Aug. 27 launch date. Retail pricing is set to $390.

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UNDEFEATED x NIKE Kobe V Protro “What If” Pack The Dirty Dozen features an upper made with premium cordura fabric representing colors from the 12 teams that passed on Kobe during the 1996 NBA Draft. The upper is also accompanied with a reinterpreted version of the iconic mamba skin made of a rubberized synthetic material, an oversized metallic gold swoosh, external stitch details throughout, as well as both 5-strike icon and Kobe sheath on each tongue with the Kobe/Undefeated lock-up on the inside. The heel cap also features custom Kobe Air logo and a 5-strike logo on opposing shoes. Each pair is finished with ice blue soles, custom box, insoles and tissue featuring the locations of the teams that passed on being a part of Kobe’s legacy.

A post shared by UNDEFEATED (@undefeatedinc) on Aug 24, 2020 at 2:01pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

UNDEFEATED x NIKE Kobe V Protro “What If” Pack The ‘Unlucky 13’ features an upper made with premium cordura fabric, dressed in the colors of the Charlotte Hornets, the team that ultimately drafted and traded Kobe during the 1996 NBA Draft. The upper is also accompanied with a reinterpreted version of the iconic mamba skin made of a rubberized synthetic material, an oversized metallic gold swoosh, external stitch details throughout, as well as both 5-strike icon and Kobe sheath on each tongue with the Kobe/Undefeated lock-up on the inside. The heel cap also features custom Kobe Air logo and a 5-strike logo on opposing shoes. Each pair is finished with ice blue soles, custom box, insoles and tissue featuring the locations of the teams that passed on Kobe and highlighting the one that drafted and ultimately traded him.

A post shared by UNDEFEATED (@undefeatedinc) on Aug 24, 2020 at 2:59pm PDT

In related news, Los Angeles is renaming a part of the street outside of the Staples Center to be called the Kobe Bryant Boulevard.

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