Nike Scrapped this “13 Regrets” Kobe Draft Day Anniversary Pack

Published

Quick Facts

  • According to Shaw, Kobe came up with the idea during discussions with Shaw and his agent in 2018
  • The collection featured colorways for each of the 13 teams that had a shot at Kobe before he settled on the Lakers, with draft-style ping-pong ball graphics with their numbered pick on each pair
  • The 13 Regrets idea morphed into the blind box Draft Day Nike Kobe 4 Protro collection

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Nike Kobe 13 Regrets Pack
Nike Kobe 13 Regrets Pack

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the 1996 NBA Draft, aka the day that changed Los Angeles Lakers' history forever. Arriving straight out of Lower Marion High School in suburban Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant slid to the 13th pick in the draft, when he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets and then immediately traded to LA. The rest, as they say, is history.

An Anniversary of Pain for 13 Unlucky Teams

To celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the Kobe draft, Nike is releasing a blind box Draft Day collection with 13 white Nike Kobe 4 Protro pairs with accents inspired by the jerseys of the teams that skipped or traded Kobe, with a final 14th pair in Lakers gold serving as the rarest in the pack. Long before the Draft Day pack made its way to production, though, former Nike Basketball product team member Bryant Shaw was mapping out a project with similar intent.

The Nike Kobe 4 13 Regrets Pack never made it to retail, but clearly served as inspiration for the Draft Day collection. According to Shaw, Kobe came up with the idea during discussions with Shaw and his agent in 2018. The collection featured colorways for each of the 13 teams that had a shot at Kobe before he settled on the Lakers, with draft-style ping-pong ball graphics with their numbered pick on each pair. On Instagram, Shaw briefly posted mock-up images of the pairs that never made it to market.

“We sat there listening to Kobe brainstorm colorways and campaign ideas, and he started talking about ’13 Regrets’ — a concept built around the 13 teams that passed on him in the ’96 Draft,” Shaw said.

No Regrets

Obviously, the 13 Regrets idea morphed into the blind box Draft Day Nike Kobe 4 Protro collection, but it’s always cool to hear about the origins of projects like this, and to find out just how long some concepts take to make it to retail. To keep up with all the latest Nike Kobe news, download the Sole Retriever App.

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Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com