San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan set the sneaker world abuzz over the weekend by unveiling a purported Nike Kobe A.D. 2018 model that is expected to release on ‘Kobe Day’ — Aug. 24. Kobe Bryant himself then wore the pair during an appearance at the Drew League.
The release would represent a fifth iteration of a Kobe A.D. silhouette. The initial pair, a low top, came out after the Los Angeles Lakers legend retired. It was then released with a cover over the laces, in a mid-top version, and more recently
The Nike Kobe A.D. 2018 that DeRozan and Bryant wore was eye-popping in the sense of both colorway and the model being a bit of a deviation from previous pairs in the signature line.
Now the shoe has surfaced in a more muted colorway and one that better aligns with the Lakers’ jerseys, via @J23app:
NEW Nike Kobe A.D. ???? pic.twitter.com/X6vsdH3uYp
— J23 iPhone App (@J23app) August 14, 2018
A release date has not been confirmed for the second colorway that’s not surfaced. Though, it’s fair to presume it could hit retail prior to the start of the 2018-19 NBA season.
Considering the number of players who have historically worn Bryant’s signature shoe, it’s likely the same will hold true for the A.D. 2018. Kyle Kuzma is among those on record as already looking forward to receiving his pairs.
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