Kobe Bryant’s 2007-08 MVP season is getting a proper nod with the return of one of his most recognizable game-day looks. The Nike Kobe 3 Protro “Orca” is set to bring back the black-and-white road colorway Bryant wore often during that run, when he led the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Finals and captured his lone MVP award.
The release is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, Sept.
- Adult sizes will be priced at $210, and the shoes will be available through the Nike SNKRS app and select retailers.
The “Orca” keeps things clean and familiar. The upper is mostly black, with white Nike Swoosh logos standing out on the heels.
Kobe Sheath logos appear on the tongues, heels, and insoles in Varsity Maize, while Anthracite tones fill out the rest of the design. Black laces and a black rubber outsole finish off the look, and the pair will ship in standard Nike Kobe packaging.
The original Kobe 3 may not have gotten the same spotlight as the Nike Hyperdunk or the low-top Kobes that followed, but the model still means plenty to hoopers and Lakers fans. For older fans, this colorway is tied to a season that still sticks in the memory.
Nike’s Protro version keeps the silhouette’s net-like TPU upper but updates it for today’s game. The biggest change is the full-length Air Zoom Strobel sitting inside a Cushlon 3.0 foam midsole, replacing the old Phylon setup and two separate Zoom units. The midsole also now includes an updated carbon fiber plate for better torsional support, and the diamond grid outsole pattern returns with improved traction.
The Kobe 3 Protro first came back last year in mostly new colorways, but this release feels different. It’s the version tied directly to Bryant’s MVP-era on-court run, and after 18 years, fans finally get another shot at it.
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