Nike Releases Throwback Style Kobe Nike Ad Starring Jalen Brunson And Natalia Bryant
In a new ad for Nike’s Kobe 3 Protro, Tuesday, New York Knicks point guard and two-time NBA All-Star, Jalen Brunson, stars alongside Bryant’s oldest daughter, Natalia.
In the ad, Brunson goes into a New York jewelry store looking for "something special." The owner starts showing off all types of rare pieces when Brunson catches Kobe’s eldest buffing an all-white Kobe 3 Protro. Brunson asks: "What's she working on?"
“Not sure that’s your speed. Gotta have that dog in you,” the jewelry store owner replies.
Brunson tries to grab the sneaker. Big mistake. Natalia snatches it away and says, "You reach, I teach." Bryant proceeds to ask Brunson a series of questions to see if he’s worthy of the shoes.
She decides he "might be ready, but I'm still not convinced" before buzzing him out and buzzing in Aaliyah Chavez, the five-star Oklahoma commit and the number one player in the class of 2025.
The ad is a throwback to Nike marketing that was some of the most creative and innovative advertising during the height of sneaker culture.
According to ESPN, “the sneakers are a reintroduction of the iconic kicks Kobe Bryant wore during his 2007-08 MVP-winning campaign. They're designed for the modern game while also paying tribute to Kobe's legacy, according to Nike. The reintroduction is the most extensive Kobe Protro effort by Nike to date.”
ESPN notes that the shoes feature new “diamond shapes on the upper and the outside in honor of Natalia, whose middle name is Diamanté.”
Brunson is a Nike athlete but doesn’t have his own signature shoe. He’s been known to wear Kobe’s when playing and reportedly wore a “‘Hyper Turquoise’ Kobe 6 player edition sneaker during the 2025 NBA playoffs inspired by the Statue of Liberty. During his career-high 61-point outing in March 2024, he wore the Kobe 6 Protro Grinch kicks,” ESPN reports.
This Saturday would have been Kobe’s 47th birthday, and that just so happens to be the day that Nike will release the all-white Kobe 3 Protro.
These shoes are a testament to Kobe’s legacy, and they won’t sit in stores.
