Matt Varga On May 21st, 2025, the Protro effort for the Kobe 9 gets further solidified, with one of the model’s final releases returning to shelves anew. Already teased by Vanessa Bryant in her preview of upcoming Summer/Fall colorways, official images of the Nike Kobe 9 “What The” have just surfaced, providing a window into exactly what we can expect with adult and grade school pairs.
Though that “first look” confirmed that the shoe would return in one-to-one fashion relative to what fans received in 2015, this casts those expectations in stone. The same multi-colored arrangement remains in place, bucking “What The” trends by alternating across the medial and lateral sides rather than across each respective shoe.
Given the Protro program’s emphasis on updating performance, it shouldn’t be a shock to know that the tech package is modified for this modern release: Lunarlon cushioning underfoot has been replaced with a React counterpart, while an updated traction pattern allows inside cuts without compromising grip. Though late-era releases of the Kobe 9 were refitted for kids, this marks the first time this particular “What The” colorway will drop in GS sizing.
To properly contextualize this look, the “What The” theme was everywhere within the Nike Basketball catalog in the 2010s, embraced by nearly every signature athlete eventually (LeBron, KD, Kyrie, Paul George, etc.) However, it’s not a stretch to say that Kobe’s line had a particular predilection towards these mashups. Every edition from 7 to 11 took some stab at it in its original run, and an Undefeated collaboration in 2020 backfilled it onto the Kobe 5
Though initially believed to drop as a part of the Mamba Day celebration, the Nike “What The” Kobe 9 Protro is queued up for a release on May 21st in both adult and GS sizing ($240 and $140, respectively). Check out official shots of both size runs included below and keep our Sneaker Release Dates page within reach for more updates.
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US 05/21/2025 Wednesday
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Official Images Of The Nike “What The” Kobe 9 Protro (GS)
