“Growing up, he was my idol. Not just my idol, probably the whole generation’s idol. For us, he was the Michael Jordan of our generation.” Giannis Antetokounmpo once said what the real influence of Kobe Bryant on him was. It’s been five years since the unfortunate news of the Lakers legend’s passing away. But Nike and Vanessa Bryant have made sure to continue honoring Mamba. With their efforts and the love for the 5x NBA champion, his influence is quantifiable.

According to Chris Gunther of Hoopshype, the Nike Kobe shoe line was the runaway winner as the most-worn signature sneaker in the NBA during the 2024-25 NBA season. Yes, beating Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Giannis, and even Stephen Curry. Out of the 569 players who appeared on the rosters of the league’s 30 teams last season, 136 total players wore Bryant’s sneakers. Next on the list is Kevin Durant with 30, which makes the difference between the first and second a more than 4x difference.

The global sneaker market stands at approximately $92.43 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach around $153.45 billion by 2034. The growth predicted according to Zion Market Research is at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 5.20% between 2025 and 2034.

As per HoopsHype, an impressive 23.9 percent of the total NBA population wore Kobe Bryant sneakers. They even added that the total number of players who wore Kobe protros was more than those who wore the next nine shoes on the list combined. Most of them opted for the Kobe 6, which first made its debut in 2010, thanks to a collaboration with Eric Avar. It quickly became a hit thanks to its upper texture that mimicked snakeskin, an ode to Kobe Bryant’s ‘Black Mamba’ nickname.

Even in February, the Kobe 6 was the most worn sneaker in terms of minutes on the hardwood. Footwear industry specialist Nick DePaula previously shared the graphic where Kobe Bryant’s shoes were on top with a total of 8,454 minutes. In fact, at the time, four Kobe sneakers originally launched in 2009-2013 were still in the Top 8, clearly suggesting it was a player’s favorite.

In fact, the Kobe sneaker is also a holiday favorite. Meaning the players love to wear the highlighter green and red Kobe 6 “Grinch” and ‘Reverse Grinch’. 21 NBA players wore these Christmas-themed shoes last season.

Kobe Bryant’s daughter teams up with Knicks superstar to hype the launch of the next release

As Giannis stated earlier, the influence of Kobe was all over him. But it’s not just him; even the Knicks captain, Jalen Brunson, was and still is a huge Kobe fan. His loyalty to the Nike Kobe line stretches back to high school. Over the years, he laced up player-exclusive colorways that kept the legend alive on hardwood floors. So, he was the perfect choice for the next launch, but Natalia Bryant stopped him. Not literally, but in the 61-second short film titled Rings-N-Things.

In the commercial, JB was ready to claim the new Nike Kobe 3 “Protro Halo”. But Kobe Bryant‘s oldest daughter declared, “You reach, I teach.” She would continue to grill the 2x All-Star, but Captain Clutch was spot on with his answers. In the end, Natalia stated, “You might be ready, but I’m still not convinced.” The history of this shoe is iconic. Kobe Bryant laced up the original Kobe 3 during his unforgettable 2007–08 MVP season, leading the Lakers to the Finals.

Now, Nike revives the model with fresh energy. That’s why they released the shoe perfectly aligned with Kobe’s birthday on 8/23 and Kobe Day on 8/24.