NBA produces legends year after year, so what made Kobe Bryant stand out from everyone else? It wasn’t just his scoring—it was his obsession with greatness. He pushed himself harder than anyone, and he expected the same from his teammates. His influence stretched beyond the game, even to his signature sneakers. Almost every young star, from Devin Booker to Jayson Tatum, laced up a pair of Kobes. But here’s the thing—wearing his shoes wasn’t a right, it was a privilege. And if you didn’t live up to his standards? You didn’t deserve them.
During his final NBA season, after a brutal loss in Portland, Bryant was livid. He went down the locker room, calling out teammates one by one. Williams previously recalled, “He went down the line, one at a time, and told everybody what the f—- was wrong with them.” The next day, Lakers equipment manager Carlos walked in and started collecting players’ sneakers. “Kobe said he don’t want y’all wearing his shoes, y’all m—-—- soft,” Williams recounted. However, long before this, a group of college players had managed to get their hands on Kobe’s sneakers—by stealing them.
Taj Gibson shared a wild memory from his USC days. While playing in the Pac-10 tournament, his team used the Lakers’ locker room. Naturally, they searched for Kobe’s locker. One player realized the vents could be popped open, and soon, they found a stash of Kobe’s personal sneakers. “One guy pops one vent open, and he said, ‘Oh my God, it’s Bean!’ And then everybody went crazy,” Gibson recalled. Players grabbed the sneakers, thrilled to own a piece of the legend.
But their excitement was short-lived. Their strength coach, Rudy Hackett, received a call and demanded they return the stolen goods. “He comes to the locker room, ‘All right, all right, all right. They don’t want to know anything. Just give me all the shoes, and I won’t say nothing.’” Despite the mishap, Kobe later ensured USC players got their own Kobes. Whether he was handing out shoes or taking them back, one thing was clear—Kobe Bryant’s presence was felt, even when he wasn’t in the room.
Kobe Bryant’s Achilles game sneakers sell for $660,000
Some moments in sports become legendary, not just for the game but for how they touch the fans’ hearts. One such moment was Kobe Bryant’s 2013 game against the Golden State Warriors. Despite tearing his Achilles tendon, he stayed on the court to sink two crucial free throws. The Nike Kobe 8 Elite ‘Lakers Home’ sneakers, worn in that unforgettable game, have been sold for a staggering $660,000 at auction.
Sotheby’s, the auction house behind the sale, described the event perfectly: “There is no moment in Kobe’s career more emblematic of the ‘Mamba Mentality’ than ‘The Achilles Game.” At the time, Bryant was 34 and already playing through pain. Earlier in the game, he hyperextended his knee, forcing him to limp. Then, with just three minutes left, he collapsed again—this time clutching his left heel.
Kobe Bryant poses for a portrait inside of his office in Costa Mesa, California, on Jan. 17, 2020. Bryant, one of the greatest NBA players in history, is building an impressive resume in his post-basketball career, including winning an Academy Award.
Yet, in true Kobe fashion, he refused to leave without finishing the job. He limped back onto the court and calmly made both free throws. Only then did the Lakers foul to stop the clock so he could exit for treatment. Against all odds, his team barely managed to hold on a small advantage and finished the game with a score of 118-116!
Since his tragic passing in 2020, memorabilia from his career has fetched record prices. Some examples: In 2024, his jersey from this same game sold for $1.2 million. Meanwhile, a signed MVP-season jersey went for over $5.8 million. These numbers show just how deep the impact Kobe has left on the basketball fans!
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