Bruce Lee and Kobe Bryant inspiring a Kyrie Irving basketball shoe colorway? Such is the case with the Nike KYRIE 3 Mamba Mentality.
The eye-popping yellow, black and red was inspired from a moment in the new (hopefully) Boston Celtic’s high school playing days.
Says Nike:
Wisdom, focus and individuality bond them. Specifically, Bryant and Irving are inspired by Lee’s famous words, “Always be yourself. Express yourself. Have faith in yourself.”
Irving is intimately aware of this connection, and first expressed it when he was 17 while playing in the Nike Extravaganza in California. He channeled his inner mamba by wearing a special Kobe 5 that was inspired by the late martial artist, actor and philosopher, Lee. Now 25, Irving commemorates that moment and pays tribute to Byrant as mentor and friend with a special edition of the KYRIE 3: the KYRIE 3 Mamba Mentality.
As a homage to Kobe 5’s that Irving rocked, his Nike Kyrie 3 features a yellow and black upper, which is an ode to Lee’s fav colors, four red slash marks (think Enter The Dragon) and a new Kyrobe logo that combines his with Kobe’s.
There is also a “snakeskin-inspired medial side represents the black mamba, fading to Samurai on the lateral side for Kyrie – a metaphorical torch passing.” True indeed.
See detailed images of the Nike KYRIE 3 Mamba Mentality, which drops September 15, below and on the flip.
—
Photo: Nike Basketball
