‘Demanding’ Custom $156,000 Adidas Sneakers, Kobe Bryant Gifted His 9/11 Tribute Shoes to Teen LeBron James Ahead of Iconic Carmelo Anthony Matchup in 2001

In October of 2001, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were preparing for ring night after winning their second championship together. It was a huge moment for both the players. However, the nation was still recovering from the shock of the 9/11 tragedy that had taken place just a while ago. So, in light of 9/11, the Black Mamba decided to pay tribute to the victims of the tragedy by wearing custom Adidas sneakers. Sneakers that he later gifted to a teenage LeBron James, which would eventually be sold for $156,000 in an auction years later.

Kobe had contacted Peter Moore, the iconic designer who worked on the Jordan 1s. As mentioned earlier, he wanted to do something special for opening night as a tribute to 9/11 victims. Sporting a pair of Audi co-designed Adidas Kobe 2s, Bryant walked onto the court in a special colorway.

Wrapped in the American flag, Kobe helped the Los Angeles Lakers to a 98-87 win over the Portland Trailblazers, contributing a whopping 29 points. A fitting way to remember the lives lost on September 11.

Kobe Bryant gifted his rare 9/11 tribute Adidas sneakers to a teenage LeBron James

Following the game against the Trailblazers, Adidas made just 30 pairs of shoes. It was a limited edition shoe, and one that any true basketball fan, let alone a Kobe fan, would love to have. And a while later, a teenage LeBron James, a mega Kobe fan at the time, met up with the Black Mamba, who presented him with a pair.

It was a huge moment for the young King. He looked up to Kobe and to receive his shoes was an honor. Ironically, all 30 pairs of the shoe were made in Kobe’s size 14, including the pair he gifted LeBron. Nevertheless, Bron, who was a size 15, wore them for St. Vincent-St. Mary’s iconic clash against Oak Hill Academy in 2001.

This clash was particularly tantalizing, because it featured two future basketball greats. Apart from King James, his opponent also garnered a lot of attention. After all, LeBron faced off against none other than his Banana Boat Team brother Carmelo Anthony.

Years later, those very same shoes that both LeBron and Kobe wore would go up for sale in an auction. Given the importance of the sneakers, the meaning behind it, and the legends who wore them on their feet, they sold for a hefty fee. A whopping $156,000 to be precise.

King James was a huge fan of Kobe growing up and even grew out his hair to look like him

Growing up in Akron, Ohio, LeBron James loved playing basketball. Prior to becoming the icon he is today, King James had a few idols of his own. As expected, one of them was Michael Jordan. But another one was none other than Kobe Bryant. James looked up to Kobe and in many ways wanted to be just like him.

In fact, he even grew out his hair back in high school. All so that he could look just like Kobe did during his early days with the LA Lakers.

Years later, in 2003, LeBron would join the ranks of the NBA. Here, he had many clashes with the Black Mamba, and over time their relationship grew strong, which peaked during the 2008 Olympics.