As the New York Knicks raised their championship banner and received rings prior to their season-opening game Tuesday night, Jalen Brunson‘s devotion to Nike Kobe sneakers reached new heights with a special edition appearing entirely in gold for the occasion.
Brunson took to the court in an all-gold player-exclusive version of the Nike Kobe 6 Protro. High gloss on the raised snake scale pattern creates a new suggestion of gold nuggets, while the Swoosh and heel stabilizer also carry high levels of sheen. A glittery effect is also applied to the tongue and midsole as no element of the shoe deviated from the gilded treatment.
Within the Nike Kobe line, the Kobe 6 Protro has been Brunson’s heavy favorite for years, and he’s received several play-exclusive colorways including the “Statue of Liberty” edition that went on to release last year and a “Star Wars”-inspired pair from last season. More player-exclusive drops are forthcoming on the Kobe 3 Protro and Kobe 5 Protro, the former of which got an early release Tuesday at a Foot Locker pop-up in New York City.
Immediately after the Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2025 NBA Finals, Converse had an all-gold pair of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s signature shoe ready for the moment.
When asked in the past about receiving his own signature shoe, Brunson has said he’d “rather have an unlimited supply of Kobes.”
Brunson’s gold Nike Kobe 6 Protro is unlikely to ever release to the public or to even be seen on his feet in a game again. Should the Knicks repeat this year, however, you can expect Nike to cook up another special sneaker for him.