In a 2013 game against the burgeoning Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Laker great Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles but maintained his unshakeable fortitude by managing to sink both free throws from the previous play. Bryant, then at the tail-end of this Hall of Fame career, surprised everyone by making a return to the court at the start of the following season.
In that return, he also debuted the Nike Kobe 9, which continued his ethos of making every model of his shoe lighter and lower to the ground. The Kobe 9 continues to remain a vital part of the Nike Kobe line, receiving the Protro treatment to keep it as sharp as ever on the court. Now, the Kobe 9 EM Low Protro is getting a Lakers-esque colorway that fits in perfectly with the rest of the model’s colorways.
The Kobe 9 EM Low Protro Thunder Blue’s engineered mesh upper comes with a gradient colorway that starts as purple at the toe and shifts to a deep navy shade near the heel. That same shade of navy appears on the tongue, heel counter, and on the sculpted midsole.
Flashes of gold appear throughout the silhouette, including outlining the Swoosh, on the Flywire construction underneath the upper, the Kobe sheath logo on the tongue, and the nine horizontal lines on the heel counter that pay tribute to that harrowing moment on the court. Capping it off is a white React midsole, which replaces the Lunarlon from the original 2014 release.
The Nike Kobe 9 EM Low Protro Thunder Blue is set to release in March 2026, but an official date has yet to be announced. Available in men’s sizing, the retail price is set at $190. For all things Kobe and Nike hoops, download the Sole Retriever mobile app.
