Early Preview of the Nike Kobe 5 Protro "Draft Day"

The return of the beloved Nike Kobe line has offered an interesting rollout to analyze. Rather than rush to bring every silhouette back to shelves, Nike Basketball has opted to take it one at a time, with the Nike Kobe 4, 6 and 8 Protro serving as the starting three to hit the spotlight once again. Since then, the Kobe 9 Elite Protro and Kobe 5 Protro have emerged as the next designs to hit shelves, with the latter now appearing in its “Draft Day” colorway once again.

While the reveal of many Nike sneakers is preceded by rumor discussions, the one-image preview of next year’s Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Draft Day” came as a surprise. The pair, which released in 2010, recounts the Charlotte Hornets drafting Kobe Bryant by utilizing the team’s white, blue and purple color scheme across the sneaker’s court-ready build. Based on this initial teaser, it looks like Nike stuck to the original design, save for the outsole utilizing what looks to be a mint blue hue this time around.

At the time of writing, Nike Basketball has not shared any details regarding the return of the “Draft Day” colorway of the Kobe 5 Protro. Stay tuned for updates, including a full set of visuals and release info, as we currently expect the sneaker to arrive on shelves at some point during 2025 via Nike SNKRS and select retailers around the model’s typical $190 USD price point.