With DeMar DeRozan leading a balanced attack, the Toronto Raptors have taken a 2-0 series lead over the Washington Wizards in their first-round matchup of the 2018 NBA Playoffs. Toronto snapped a streak of 10 consecutive Game 1 losses when they took the series opener.
DeRozan had just 17 points in the first game but erupted for 37 in Game 2. All the while he’s continued to pay homage to Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. Unlike Michael Jordan who has several athletes on their Air Jordan subsidiary roster, Bryant stands alone.
But various models from Bryant’s signature shoe line with Nike can be seen on the court any given night. Particularly when it comes to DeRozan and Isaiah Thomas, who combined have carried on Bryant’s sneaker legacy.
So it was that DeRozan wore the Nike Kobe 7 from the Fade to Black pack that was produced to honor Bryant’s final season with the Lakers. The model DeRozan wore originally released April 6, 2016.
He followed that up by reverting back to a low top for Game 2, donning the Kobe X elite low ‘Christmas,’ which released Dec. 26, 2015.
In the weeks leading up to the playoffs, DeRozan wore both the general ‘Mamba Day’ release and multiple player exclusives of the Nike Kobe 1 protro.
DeRozan voiced his excitement upon Nike announcing that they were beginning a full-fledged retro line for the five-time champion.