Kobe Bryant's Christmas Day "Grinch" shoes could set record for sneakers
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The NBA has a long tradition of Christmas Day games stretching back to 1947, only one year after the NBA's inception. There have been some legendary matchups since then, but one of the most iconic and memorable was the 2010 matchup between the L.A. Lakers and the Miami Heat.
Kobe Bryant's game-worn Nike Zoom Kobe VI “Grinch” sneakers from that Christmas Day matchup are currently for sale at JOOPITER. The shoes, which are also signed by Kobe, are only available by inquiry. This iconic pair of sneakers are the only game-worn pair in this colorway ever worn by Bryant in an NBA game.
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The highest price ever paid for a pair of basketball shoes is $2.2M, which was the game-worn pair of Jordans worn by the GOAT himself during the 1998 NBA Finals. All eyes will be watching to see if these Kobe "Grinches" steal that top spot. Speculation is that the Kobe worn pair could triple or quadruple that number!
How well did Kobe play in the Grinch colorway?
Unfortunately for Lakers fans, the Black Mamba wasn’t at his best wearing green. He finished the game with 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting while adding 6 rebounds and 7 assists. The Lakers ultimately came up short in this low-scoring game, with Miami securing the decisive victory 96 to 80 on the road at the Staples Center.
The Grinch colorway may have ignited something in LeBron James, as he put on a show finishing the night with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. On top of the triple-double, James was also on fire from deep, connecting on 5 of 6 three-pointers as well as being a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
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The enduring legacy of the Kobe 6
The Kobe 6s have become some of the most popular basketball shoes of all time. According to Kixstats, they're the most popular shoe in the NBA today, far outpacing the second most popular shoe, the Kobe V.
Nike originally sold these electric-green shoes for $130 and then relaunched the Kobe 6 Protro Grinch on Dec. 24, 2020 for $180. Today you'd be lucky to find a pair for under $500.
These shoes were so popular that Nike even released a pair of mismatched football cleats, with one green shoe and one red shoe in 2024 for $230.
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JOOPITER has been actively developing its presence in the sports collectibles space, and these game-worn autographed Kobe Bryant shoes could become one of their marquee sales to kick off a monster year in 2026.
Conor is a life long sports card enthusiast who started collecting in the early ’90s, inspired by hometown heroes like Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, Tom Brady, and David Ortiz. Like many ’90s hoops fans, he also started building (and continues to build) a modest Michael Jordan collection.