22 Years Later, Nike Is Finally Dropping Kobe Bryant’s Custom Air Force 1s

The 2002-2003 NBA season marked one of the great turning points in the annals of sneaker lore. The summer prior, Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant bought out the remainder of his contract with Adidas after dissatisfaction with the direction of his signature line. As part of the agreement, Bryant was forced to remain a sneaker free agent for a year, playing through the season in a number of silhouettes and custom colorways from brands including Nike, Jordan Brand, and even Reebok (his