Jaylen Brown hit the court on Saturday night sporting the Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Reverse Grinch.” Although the sneaker has been seen all throughout the NBA this season, Brown’s stands out thanks to a unique paint job honoring Kobe and Gigi Bryant.
Each quarter panel in the pair has a unique image, featuring two photographs of Kobe and his daughter on the shoe’s lateral sides. The left shoe depicts a black and white image of the two in uniform, seen from behind, with Gig’s hand around Kobe’s waist. The right side shows both Bryants biting their jerseys, a tick Kobe was notorious for. “In loving memory of Kobe and Gigi” is written in cursive on the medial sides.
Marcus Rivero, also known as “SolesBySir” on Instagram, personalized the sneakers for Brown. Rivero is most known for designing personalized cleats for NFL players, but he also regularly makes shoes for Brown and a number of MLB players.
Rivero revealed in an Instagram post from Christmas Day that he constructed the shoes for the Celtics’ holiday game versus the Los Angeles Lakers, the team’s storied nemesis. Brown did not wear the sneakers until Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, when he donned another pair of the Kobe 6 Protro “Reverse Grinch” modified sans the Nike Swoosh.
As is customary for Brown, his weekend Kobe 6s were likewise stripped of the Swoosh. Brown previously chastised Nike for terminating its partnership with Kyrie Irving after Irving shared a documentary about antisemitism on social media and delayed his feet before officially condemning the ideas. Brown has continued to wear the brand’s sneakers, albeit without the prominent branding.
The Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Reverse Grinch” was introduced in December and features a colorway that is the inverse of the original Kobe 6 “Grinch” worn by Bryant on Christmas Day in 2010. For the shoe’s tenth anniversary, the Kobe 6 Protro “Reverse Grinch” will be released in December 2020.