Aaron Hope 
Michael Jordan said the NBA’s current rules would allow him to score 100 points in his prime, but only one man has come remotely close since MJ’s retirement. “81” will always be associated with Kobe Bryant, and whether the same will be said of “5” remains to be seen. It could have just as easily been “4”, but the Lakers are now trying to build a second threepeat in just over a decade, and just like last year, there’s a championship ring-inspired edition of Bryant’s signature sneaker. The Nike Zoom Kobe V ‘5 Rings’ moves last year’s all-over gradient down to the midsole, leaving a variety of ways of saying ‘five’ as this colorway’s signature design element. They’re written in tonal purple except for the toebox area, where you’ll find the symbols a bit easier to read in Laker gold. Set to coincide with the Lakers’ 16th ring ceremony tonight at Staples Center, the ‘5 Rings’ Zoom Kobe 5 will hit select Nike Basketball retailers tomorrow, and LA-based icons UNDFTD are pre-selling theirs today.
