It’s been five years since a helicopter crash in Calabasas stole Kobe Bryant from the world far too soon. Yet, somehow, his story continues to grow, stitched deeper into the fabric of Los Angeles, where the sun still sets purple and gold.
This week, a pair of Adidas EQT Top Ten 2000 sneakers—worn by Bryant during his first-ever NBA start—sold for a jaw-dropping $240,000 through SCP Auctions.
Both shoes were autographed, and photo-matched to that exact night: January 28, 1997, on the road against the Dallas Mavericks. The price tag makes them the second-most expensive pair of Kobe’s shoes ever sold.
He was just 18 years old when he started that game.
Back then, Kobe was still raw—still all upside. He had the bounce, the bravado, and a hint of that Mamba bite that would later define him. That night in Dallas, he dropped 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting in 32 minutes. Nothing flashy. Just the first of many seeds planted in a 20-year journey that would take him from wide-eyed rookie to five-time NBA champion, Finals MVP, Olympic gold medalist, and a symbol of uncompromising greatness.
Ironically, the shoes were Adidas—not Nike. Adidas was the first to see the vision, signing Bryant straight out of Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania. He would later move to Nike, where the Kobe line became basketball’s gold standard—trailing only the iconic Air Jordans in global impact and popularity. Today, more NBA players wear Kobe Bryant Nikes than any other shoe.
But these Adidas kicks are different. They’re from the beginning—before the Mamba nickname, before the championships, before the parades down Figueroa. They represent a teenager chasing a dream, trying to earn minutes alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Eddie Jones, and Nick Van Exel trying to prove he belonged in the NBA.
Kobe Bryant #8 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes to the basket against the Dallas Mavericks on January 20, 1997 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
To Lakers fans, Kobe wasn’t just a superstar. He was theirs. He played every one of his 1,346 regular-season games in purple and gold. They watched him grow—awkward Afro and all—into one of the most complete guards in NBA history.
And the memories live on in the artifacts.
In February, the shoes he wore when he tore his Achilles—gritting through two free throws before limping off—sold for $660,000. In April, the jersey he wore in his first regular-season game fetched $7 million. These aren’t just collectibles; they’re relics of a man whose legacy transcends stats and championships.
The $240,000 sneakers are a reminder of how it all began. A kid. A dream. A pair of shoes. And a city that would come to love him like family.