Since former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant unveiled the Nike Zoom Kobe IV, his signature shoes have been worn by countless players throughout the league. Included in the field are Toronto Raptors All-Star DeMar Derozan, current Lakers guard Isaiah Thomas, and Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker.
DeRozan and Thomas have long championed themselves as the pseudo new faces of Bryant’s signature line, while Tucker has worn several of Bryant’s shoes, including limited models, throughout his career. Joining that group this season is Indiana Pacers forward Lance Stephenson.
He’s currently without a sneaker deal, and therefore has worn a variety of shoes. For Monday’s game against the Lakers, the always-entertaining guard donned the Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 “Kobe Laser” that debuted in 2004.
But Stephenson was forced to change shoes, as sole on his left shoe separated from the upper during the second quarter. Stephenson shot his free throws and then switched to an Air Jordan 15 model for the remainder of the game.
Stephenson finished with 16 points and five rebounds off the bench in the Pacers’ 110-100 win. His incident is similar to what Thomas experienced in the fourth quarter of a February game against the Sacramento Kings.
He was wearing the Kobe IV but was forced to switch to the Kobe A.D. mid because the sole on his came apart. Thomas gave credit to Lakers equipment manager Carlos Maples for immediately retrieving two new shoe options.
While Thomas hasn’t worn a different version of the same pair that failed him, he’s continued to play in several Kobe models.