Matt Varga In an all-time legendary career, perhaps the accomplishment most readily associated with Kobe Bryant didn’t even come in the playoffs, let alone in one of his seven NBA Finals. No, it was in a late January matchup regular season affair when the late legend torched the Raptors (and infamously, Jalen Rose) to the tune of 81 points.
As a result, the Lakers-ready variation of his first Nike signature has become one of his most vaunted, and on the 20th anniversary, fans will get a chance at the Nike Zoom Kobe 1 Protro “81 Points” anew. To capitalize on the occasion at the time, the white-heavy pair was given a limited release just under a year after the actual achievement, but few devotees actually got a chance to lace them up.
Thus, as the Protro movement began in 2019, the Zoom Kobe 1 Protro “81 Points” was an obvious starting point, one of the very first in a series that continues to define Nike’s hoops efforts to this day. Beneath the white/purple/gold colorway, the original Kobe 1 specs get an overhaul consistent with what we saw at the turn of the decade, including Cushlon foam, a refreshed traction pattern, and a full-length Zoom Air unit.
While this is no doubt the headliner, this “81 Points” edition is just one of a few colorways expected for 2026 as the Kobe 1 enters its second Protro era, with a “Work Blue” variation rumored for later this year.
The Nike Zoom Kobe 1 Protro “81 Points” is queued up on retail release calendars for January 22nd (again, the 20th anniversary of that fateful night). Be ready for a $210 retail price upon arrival. Keep this page and our Sneaker Release Dates hub close by for a full list of stockists as that information solidifies.
