Andrew Rizzo Originally released in 2009 in honor of Kobe Bryant’s first ever Olympic gold medal win at the Beijing Games, the Nike Kobe 4 “Gold Medal” ($190) returns August 6th via Nike SNKRS and select retailers. See our “Where To Buy” section below for a comprehensive list of all available raffles and purchase channels.
WHERE TO BUY
Nike Zoom Kobe 4 Protro "Gold Medal"
US 08/06/2024 Tuesday
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- Nike Kobe 4 Protro “Gold Medal” Politics
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- Nike Kobe 4 Protro “Gold Medal” Politics
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- Nike Kobe 4 Protro “Gold Medal” Politics
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- Nike Kobe 4 Protro “Gold Medal” Politics
Naturally, the release comes at a time when the current USA Men’s National Basketball Team is competing for Olympic hardware of their own in Paris, with a quarterfinals matchup against Brazil scheduled on the shoe’s release date. If USA meets expectations and goes home with gold yet again, it will mark the team’s eighth gold medal win in the nine Olympic Games that have occurred since the committee started allowing professional athletes to compete, a run of dominance that of course started with the “Dream Team” led by Michael Jordan in 1992. The lone anomaly occurred at the Athens Olympics in 2004, where USA took home bronze after falling to Argentina in the semifinals. That’s what makes 2008’s “Redeem Team” led by Kobe Bryant so iconic, including the sneakers that released in honor of the Mamba’s first gold medal.
While the 2024 Protro differs from the original release when it comes to performance features, the colorway itself remains unchanged. A patriotic mix of red, white, and blue is married with a metallic gold forefoot and heel, complete with an insole graphic of a gold medal that reads “08/24/08.” That’s both the date Kobe and Team USA won gold in Beijing and Kobe Bryant Day (aka Mamba Day) as it reflects his two NBA uniform numbers. Talk about a coincidence.
Arriving off the heels of the Kobe 4 “Philly” and “Girl Dad” from earlier this year, the “Gold Medal” will likely prove to be the most sought-after of the trio upon its release. Largely thought of as one of the better Kobe 4 colorways of all time, grey market prices for the 2009 edition regularly exceed the $800+ mark. Not to worry though, as the 2024 Protro should make the famed shoe more accessible to all.
