Home / Sports / Nike's 'Missed Legend' Kobe 4s Arrive in Mystery Boxes
Nike's 'Missed Legend' Kobe 4s Arrive in Mystery Boxes
12 May
Summary
- Nike is releasing Kobe 4 Protro sneakers in mystery boxes.
- 13 out of 14 colorways represent teams that didn't draft Kobe.
- The collection celebrates 30 years since Kobe's NBA draft.
Nike is elevating its storytelling for the 30th anniversary of Kobe Bryant's NBA draft with a unique sneaker release. The Nike Kobe 4 Protro Draft Day Pack, launching in June 2026, adopts a mystery box format, a strategy popularized by the Labubu phenomenon. Customers will not know which of the 14 colorways they have purchased until opening the gold wrapping.
Thirteen of these colorways deliberately reference the teams that did not draft Bryant, including the Charlotte Hornets, who traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. Accents on the primarily white sneakers match each respective team's colors and can be revealed by wearing away the leather upper. A lottery ball graphic on the insole and a draft board on the inner tongue tag of all 14 pairs commemorate Bryant being the 13th pick.
The collection's provocative intent is clear, with Nike stating that the Lakers "got it right" while other teams "missed on a legend." This release coincides with the 30th anniversary of the 1996 NBA Draft, with the sneakers available on the Snkrs app on June 26, 2026, for $190.
