Nike Expands Kobe 5 Year of the Snake Pack with Mamba Invitational PE
Kobe’s birthday is August 23rd, and every year, Nike and the Bryant family go all out to celebrate, hosting the Mamba League Invitational to show off the best in high school basketball talent and new Kobe sneaker models and colorways. This year, the tournament coincided with the release of the Kobe 3 Protro, the reveal of a low-top version of the Kobe 3, and served as the runway for Vanessa Bryant to flex a super-limited 1-of-2 Swarovski-covered pair. But don’t worry, Nike didn’t leave the hoopers out.
Mamba League Invitational players were given exclusive access to a Players Edition Kobe 5 Protro to celebrate the Year of the Snake. The Kobe 5 PE features a bright red upper, with a slightly darker red speckled midsole contrasting below. A giant green mamba adorns the lateral side panel, slithering in front and behind the green-outlined red Swoosh. The Kobe sheath on the tongue also gets a green hit, as well as Bryant’s signature on the heel.
2025 is the Year of the Snake on the Chinese Lunar New Year calendar, and Nike already celebrated the holiday with a mamba-themed Kobe pack earlier this year. That collection included three colorways of the Kobe 5 Protro with the same snake design, one in purple with a gold snake, another in red with a gold snake, and finally a blacked-out friends-and-family version.
Unless you were on the court in LA this weekend or you can find an elite high school hooper willing to part with a pair, this colorway of the Nike Kobe 5 Protro LNY will be impossible to come by. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
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. zach.h@soleretriever.com
