The 2024 'Mamba Day' Releases Tell Kobe's Life Story

During Kobe Bryant’s final NBA game on April 13, 2016, he scored a mighty 60 points that well and truly cemented his epic 20-season career. 2024 marks the eighth anniversary of this game, and Nike are celebrating ‘Mamba Day’ this year by heroing the places that shaped Kobe’s life and career through three re-releases: ‘Philly', ‘Italian Camo’, and ‘Venice Beach’.

Kobe was born in Philadelphia in 1978, and the Kobe 4 Protro ‘Philly’ pays homage not only to his birthplace, but also to his father, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers. The pair features ‘Varsity Royal’ uppers with a white Swoosh outlined in ‘University Red’, and the finishing touch is the inscription of Bryant’s birth date along the insoles.

At age 6, Kobe’s father retired from the NBA and the family moved to Italy where he continued playing professional basketball in Rieti, Reggio Calabria, Pistoia, and finally, Reggio Emilia. Kobe learnt fluent Italian, and this is where his relationship with basketball really developed. He worked at his father’s games as a ball and mop boy, but would practice shooting at halftime, and his grandfather would mail him tapes of NBA games. The Bryant family moved back to Philadelphia when Kobe was 13, but he has said it was where some of his best childhood memories were made. The Kobe Protro 6 ‘Italian Camo’ references this Italian side of Kobe, with a design that resembles Italian military fatigues and the diverse landscapes throughout the pasta-loving country.

Last but certainly not least is the Protro 8 ‘Venice Beach’, which represents Kobe’s 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers through the eclectic and spirited design. This will be the first time the iteration has released since its debut on Venice Beach basketball courts in 2013.

All three iterations will release on Mamba Day – April 13, 2024 – via SNKRS. Hit the links below to cop.