Nike featured a special guest for its new Kobe 3 Protro ad Tuesday — New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
The two-time NBA All-Star appears in the ad alongside Natalia Bryant, the eldest daughter of the late Kobe Bryant.
Brunson enters a jewelry store in New York and says he’s looking for “something special.” While the owner shows off various types of jewelry, an all-white Kobe 3 Protro catches Brunson’s eye. As Bryant buffs the kicks, Brunson asks: “What’s she working on?”
He tries to grab the shoe before she quickly takes it away and responds with, “You reach, I teach.” Bryant then asks Brunson a variety of questions in a test to see whether he’s suitable for the shoes. She declares that he “might be ready, but I’m still not convinced” before buzzing him out.
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.
A key feature of the shoes is new diamond shapes on the upper and outsole in honor of Natalia, whose middle name is Diamanté.
Brunson is an avid wearer of Kobe sneakers. He rocked 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.
The all-white Kobe 3 Protro will be released Saturday, which would have been Kobe’s 47th birthday.