Nike Salute Kobe's Career-Peak '81 Points' in Protro Form

Unearthly talent and technical supremacy: these were the pillars that hoisted the late Kobe Bryant to an untouchable level of hoops mastery during his career. Amongst the man's various jaw-dropping moments on the hardwood, there's one game which stands out as the preeminent illustration of his skill, and this month Nike celebrate its 20th anniversary with the Zoom Kobe 1 Protro '81 Points'.

The night of January 22 in 2006 saw the Black Mamba bag a career-high number of buckets for any one game, leading the Lakers to victory over the Toronto Raptors with a final score of 122-104. The Swoosh did release Bryant's first signature in the '81 Points' colourway some months after the feat, but the drop was so limited it remained a pie-in-the-sky cop for many fans – until now.

The OG Kobe 1 build gets a revamp to align it with the 2019 Protro lineage, with CushIon foam, full-length Zoom Air unit and overhauled traction pattern. Of course, the whole shebang is decked out in the classic Lakers colours of purple, white and gold.

The Nike Zoom Kobe 1 Protro '81 Points' is all ready to land on the two-decade anniversary of the game for which it's named – January 22 – with retail price set at $210.

For more sneaker-birthday goodness, check out our round-up of the biggest anniversaries landing in 2026!