Jalen Brunson Unveils Nike Kobe 5 "WTR" Sneakers on Instagram

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The New York Knicks punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Semifinals and have a few days off to rest. NBA fans and sneakerheads have used that time to figure out the meaning behind Jalen Brunson's latest kicks.
The Knicks guard always wears Kobe Bryant's retro Nike basketball shoes and has enjoyed the ultra-rare honor of three specifically designed player-exclusive colorways over the past three months.
Last week, Brunson debuted a never-before-seen colorway of the Nike Kobe 5 Protro when the Knicks closed out the Detroit Pistons. Yesterday, Brunson shared high-quality pictures of the kicks on Instagram.
Brunson simply captioned the Instagram post, "Kobe 5 PE "WTR."" We now know the acronym stands for "What The Rick" and is a tribute to Brunson's father.
The multi-color kicks take colorways from all of the NBA team's Rick Brunson played for and turn them into one amazing design.
The teams include the Knicks, Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Houston Rockets.
Rick is now an assistant coach for the Knicks, while his son continues to carve his own path in the NBA and sneaker industry.
Brunson is not getting a signature sneaker, but there are not many higher honors than multiple player-exclusive Nike Kobe sneakers (plus billboards all over New York City).
Unfortunately, the Nike Kobe 5 Protro "WTR" will not be released to the public. However, it is steadily becoming easier to buy Nike Kobe sneakers and apparel at retail price on the Nike website.
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Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Kicks On Sports Illustrated. As a leading voice in footwear journalism, he breaks news, spotlights important stories, and interviews the biggest names in sports. Previously, Pat has reported on the NBA and authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)." You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.
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