Usually, Nike releases the Engineered Mesh version first then they move onto the Elite model which boasts its Flyknit technology. This time, for Kobe’s last on-court sneaker, Nike tried something new and went in reverse. We’ve seen the Kobe XI get the Lower Merion Aces treatment. For Kobe, after high school came the NBA.
“With the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets select Kobe Bryant.”
Jerry West constructed a deal for the Hornets to draft Bryant. After the pick was announced, a Los Angeles Lakers’ center, Vlade Divac was sent to Charlotte in exchange for the high school phenom. Though Kobe has never played for the Hornets, Nike has put the colorway on the Mamba’s previous shoes.
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A neutral grey upper will feature the Hornets’ teal and purple. The left shoe will feature the four signature red stitches while the right bears the numbers 6.26.96. Yup, that’s the draft date in which Kobe Bryant was officially an NBA player. To give the grey upper a bit of life, the midsole and outsole is completely white.
H/T: Sneakernews
Nike Kobe 11 “Draft Day”
Release Date: April 28, 2016
Price: $160 USD
Colorway: White/Blue Lagoon-Court Purple
Style #: 863183-154
