All About the First Kobe Sneaker

Not only does Kobe Bryant‘s sneaker legacy date back to 1997, but it encompasses two sneaker giants.

Bryant’s first signature sneaker came from Adidas during his second year in the NBA. He had signed with Adidas prior to entering the NBA Draft in 1996 as a high schooler and was recruited by none other than Sonny Vaccaro, the same man who helped bring Michael Jordan to Nike. Adidas’ six-year, $48 million deal for then-teenager was unprecedented at the time ...