In just three days, it’ll be Kobe Bryant’s birthday, and honestly, this entire August has felt like a celebration of his legacy. It all started on August 8, when the Dodgers kicked things off with a special Kobe Bryant bobblehead giveaway, where the first 40,000 fans got a mini Kobe in a Lakers jersey holding a bat. The Bryant family — Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri — even showed up to make the night unforgettable. And now, Nike’s keeping the energy alive with their latest tease, asking, “Five rings, one for each finger?” Well, Kobe already has those, right?
On Tuesday, Nike dropped a 61-second short film titled Rings-N-Things, starring none other than Jalen Brunson and Natalia Bryant. Fresh off graduating cum laude from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in May, Natalia has already been making waves, featuring in campaigns for several brands. Now, she steps into an even bigger role, and right by her side, as always, is her godfather or as she lovingly calls him, “Uncle” Pau Gasol. “His family’s my family,” Pau once said. “We’ll be there all the way, through the good and bad times, loving each other and being there for each other.” It’s a promise he has kept, standing by the Bryants since January 26, 2020.
Adding to the excitement, Natalia shared a few behind-the-scenes pictures from the video and shoot on Instagram, captioning it, “The Kobe 3 Protro. Launching in SNKRS 8.23.” Pau Gasol quickly reposted it on his story, adding a heart hand emoji, sending just pure love and blessings wrapped up in one simple gesture.
To truly understand Gasol’s bond with the Bryant family, you have to go back to a promise that went beyond basketball. Years ago, Kobe once told Pau, “Send me your sons and I’ll teach them how to be tough, to fight, to work and go for it… I’ll send you my daughters so you can teach them about culture, awareness, things like that.” Years later, Pau honored that promise in the most heartfelt way by naming his daughter Elisabet Gianna Gasol, a beautiful tribute to Kobe’s daughter, Gigi. Their families became intertwined—Vanessa Bryant is the godmother to Pau’s kids, and Pau is the godfather to Kobe’s.
Credits: Oct 8, 2013; Ontario, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol (left) and guard Kobe Bryant during the game against the Denver Nuggets at Citizens Business Bank Arena. The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 90-88. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
And even after Kobe’s passing, Pau has never let that bond fade. He’s been there through it all—birthdays, holidays, Halloweens, and those little family getaways, whether it’s a magical day at Disneyland or a peaceful cruise around the Bay. Just last month, Natalia posted the sweetest message for her “Uncle” Pau’s 45th birthday, writing, “Happy Birthday Uncle Pau We all love you so so much!” You can almost picture it — Pau surrounded by the Bryants, laughter filling the room, love holding everyone together. And somewhere up there, you just know Kobe’s smiling, proud and at peace, watching that promise still alive.
Nike turns a sneaker release into a Kobe celebration
Nike just turned sneaker drops into a full-blown storyline, with Kobe Bryant’s legacy written all over it. The ad kicks off with Brunson strolling into a jewelry shop run by Big Time Tommie, ready to claim the brand-new Nike Kobe 3 Protro “Halo” colorway. But before he can get his hands on them, Natalia Bryant steps in with some serious Mamba energy. She snatches the sneakers right out of his reach and drops the line, “You reach, I teach.” From there, Natalia grills Brunson with clutch-style questions, testing whether he’s worthy of rocking Kobe’s iconic kicks. And even after all that, she closes with, “You might be ready, but I’m still not convinced.” Talk about drama packed into just one minute.
The timing of this release isn’t random either—it’s perfectly aligned with Kobe Bryant’s birthday on August 23 and Kobe Day on August 24. Nike is giving Kobe’s third signature basketball shoe the “royal treatment” this time, and the buildup has been massive. They even teased the drop with a mysterious 10-second voicemail ad for the Rings-N-Things store, which sent fans buzzing.
The Nike Kobe 3 Protro “Halo” officially releases at 10 a.m. EST on August 23 via the Nike SNKRS app for $210 in adult sizes. In Nike’s words, “The drop of the Kobe 3 Protro doesn’t just nod to Kobe’s legendary history, it’s the reintroduction of a performance basketball shoe built for today’s game… all about function-first innovation that doesn’t sacrifice on the design.” Fun fact: the sneakers also feature diamond details as a tribute to Natalia’s middle name, Diamanté.
As for Jalen Brunson, his appearance in the ad isn’t random at all. He’s been loyal to the Nike Kobe line since high school. Over the years, he’s debuted exclusive player colorways of Nike Kobe basketball shoes and frequently laces up different Protros on the court. According to ESPN, he even wore a special version inspired by the Statue of Liberty during the 2025 NBA Playoffs and rocked the Kobe 6 Protro “Grinch” in March 2024.
With this drop, the Kobe 3 Protro steps back into the spotlight, bringing fans a performance-first upgrade on a shoe Kobe originally wore during his unforgettable 2007–08 MVP season, when he led the Lakers to the NBA Finals. This isn’t just another sneaker launch—it’s a celebration of Kobe, his family, his legacy, and the next era of basketball culture.
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