Who could ever have imagined that the day Kobe Bryant is inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame this August, the Lakers legend will only be there in spirit. His sudden death three months ago at the tender age of 41 sent shockwaves throughout the world. Kobe’s game-used jerseys and sneakers, already sacred keepsakes while he was living, are now among the most sought-after artifacts for basketball collectors.
With a heavy heart, we present this attractive pair of his 2014-15 game-worn signature model shoes, which have been professionally photo-matched to a December 28th home contest vs. the Suns. After missing three previous games, Kobe tallied ten points, eight rebounds and seven assists, a rare night when Mamba was more distributor than scorer. Each shoe was signed and inscribed by Kobe and originally sourced from Panini, his exclusive memorabilia partner. A 36-year-old Bryant averaged 22.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in an injury-shortened 35 games that season, the heavy mileage on his body since debuting at age 18 finally catching up with him. He saved enough in the tank for one more year, going out with a farewell game for the ages.
The flashy Nike "Kobe IX Elite" sneakers come in a stylish Lakers-themed color pattern on the exterior with a purple Swoosh, black midsoles and yellow base. The lightweight, high-top design is similar to a wrestling shoe: tall, thin, and flexible at the ankle. The interior tagging shows his size 14 along with "SEASON H014" and "PROMO SAMPLE" confirming that they were player-issued and not for public consumption. There are custom-fit purple insoles to provide additional support for Kobe's feet after he tore his Achilles two years prior. The tongues have Kobe's unique Sheath logo in purple and his facsimile signature stamped in black. Nine red stripes appear horizontally on the heels with "KB ninTH" in yellow just above to denote the number in this signature model series.
The shoes come with their original white laces and show ample wear with scuffing and creasing. Kobe has autographed each shoe on the outer heel in shiny 10/10 silver felt tip pen. He has inscribed the "12-28-14" game date on the right, with “vs Suns” on the left. Game images clearly show him wearing these shoes. A favorite Kobe style among “Sneakerheads” and simply an awesome pair of Kobe gamers with ideal paperwork. It doesn’t get much better. Includes Panini Authentic COA (PA32698) to cover both the game use and signatures. Additional photo-match letter from MeiGray. Full LOA's from Beckett for the autographs (Cert. #'s: A31081, A31082).