Playing on the road at Staples Center, the Dallas Mavericks were up by double digits. There was just about half of the third quarter left, when Luka Dončić took the ball out of bounds after a whistle. Before the sophomore sensation could make the inbound though, he turned around because a fan was heckling him in his native Slovenian.
To the surprise of everyone, Dončić included, the assumed heckler was none other than Kobe Bryant. The Lakers legends sat courtside with his daughter, Gigi, presumably digging up nuggets from his time with former teammate Sasha Vujačić, and flashing a wide grin and having a whale of a time before receiving an acknowledging handshake from the equally smiling Luka mid-game.
This Staples Center visit, representative of the special bond between Kobe Bryant, the father, and his daughters, serves as the inspiration for the all-new Nike Kobe 4 Protro ‘Girl Dad’ that pays tribute to the role of being a father to his girls, which Kobe embraced so wholeheartedly, as well as the love for the game of basketball that he shared with them.
The shoes’ dark green upper mirrors the Philadelphia Eagles beanie that Bryant wore that day, representing his home town football team in the building that had become synonymous with his heroics performed there over the course of 20 seasons. The bright orange insole is modeled after the WNBA hoodie he wore to the game. A ‘Girl Dad’ inscription can be found on the inside of the tongues on this special edition commemorating the moment.
The Nike Kobe 4 Protro ‘Girl Dad’ releases at BSTN on Friday, June 7th. For your chance to purchase a pair, make sure to enter the BSTN Raffle before Thursday, June 6th, at 4 pm CEST via the button below!
While his latest signature shoe celebrates Kobe’s relationships off the court, you can also find a comprehensive selection of authentic jerseys from his most memorable moments with the Lakers here as well as a limited-edition Gift of Mamba Destroyer Jacket!
