The legendary Kobe Bryant journey in the NBA league began on June 26, 1996, when he was drafted with the 13th pick by Charlotte's Hornets, who immediately sent the youngster to Los Angeles. It is the date that Nike Zoom KOBE IV Protro reminds us of.

Born in 2009, the boots have revolutionized and aggravated established standards. At that time, low-profile basketball shoes weren't frequent pick by the players.

It all started with the Kobe's question: why do the best football forwards play with low-cut shoes, when basketball players, participating in an equally dynamic sport, think there's nothing better than high-profile shoes?

After that Kobe had very clear requirements for Nike innovation creative director Eric Avar: "I want the lowest and lightest basketball shoes that Nike can produce."

Then, Nike designers met Bryant's wishes with the extraordinary Flywire technology, and the design consisted of thin but ultra-strong nylon material. The shoes were also complemented by LunarLite foam and Zoom units.

It is interesting that the fourth shoes were very effective for the whole basketball - it became a pioneer who strenghtened low-profile shoes position between basketball players. They have become not only the choice of fast and many moving guards, but also tall forwards. Nowadays, the dominance of low profile shoes is no longer surprising, but at that time it was a real revolution.

The Nike Zoom KOBE IV Protro reborn with the soft colors of Charlotte's Hornets - it's a reminder of Kobe's first step in the world's toughest basketball league. Although Kobe had not played with Hornets shirts, but it was the team that picked him in the draft. This memorable date decorates the collar of shoes - 6.26.1996. Shoes also have number 24 - playing with him the basketball player finished his glorious career.

Together with "Black Mamba" in 1996, the NBA League was also staged by Steve Nash, Stephen Marbury, Ray Allen, Allen Iverson, and our guy Žydrūnas Ilgauskas.

The release date for the batels coincides with the beginning of All-Star weekend - February 15th.

The best basketball shoes for your victories on the court! ➡ 

The best basketball shoes for your victories on the court! ➡