Although Kobe Bryant dominated the NBA and has gone down as a legend of the sport, his second passion is for soccer (sorry, football). His connection to the sport goes way back to his childhood in Italy, where he played for a local club, but even as an adult, he kept his love for the game. Further cementing his connection to soccer, Nike has teamed up with FC Barcelona for a Kobe Bryant Nike Air Force 1 Low Protro, launching later this fall.
While Bryant was a professed AC Milan fan, he also took a liking to FC Barcelona during his playing days. There are plenty of instances where he would visit Barca’s practices when they came to the U.S. and when Kobe visited Europe. This love extended to footwear, as in 2011, a two-pack of Nike Kobe 6 colorways was launched in limited quantities, one for the team’s home kit and another for the away.
