Ric Mestre dropped a big reveal this week. On The Grindhouse, Inc., the photographer better known as Unstructured Vision said New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson flat-out rejected to have a Nike signature shoe.
“The discussions recently has been if Jalen [Brunson] would have his own signature shoe with Nike,” Mestre said. “And internally, the discussions have gone on, and it’s gotten to a point now where Jalen’s pretty much said ‘I refuse. I don’t want a signature. Just let me wear Kobe’s for the rest of my career, and I’ll be good.’”
That’s wild when you look at Brunson’s résumé at 28. Three straight All-Star selections. Two All-NBA teams. Clutch Player of the Year last season. NBA Cup MVP this year. He dragged the New York Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000 and turned Madison Square Garden feral in the process. This is usually the moment Nike hands you a logo and a launch deck. And maybe a briefcase full of money.
Instead, Brunson keeps lacing up Kobe PEs. He’s been the unofficial face of the sneaker line for years, debuting unreleased models and Knicks-themed colorways on national TV. In December 2025, Nike even released his Statue of Liberty-inspired Kobe 6 Protro. And just last week, he broke out a Knicks-colored Kobe 3 Low.
But this loyalty won’t surprise fans. Brunson met Kobe Bryant on Christmas Day in 2014. He was 14. The Lakers were in Chicago, where his dad Rick coached at the time. Kobe wasn’t playing, but he was there.
“I remember seeing him walk down the hallway,” Brunson recalled. “‘Why work if you don’t want to be the best?’ That quote has stayed with me forever… He had on these red high-top Kobe 9s — the Christmas Nines… He said, ‘Here you go. These are for you.’”
That moment stayed with Brunson. So did the family ties. Brunson’s mom Sandra roomed with Kobe’s sister Sharia at Temple. Also, Rick Brunson played against Kobe 13 times in the NBA.
More than 20 active NBA players have signature sneakers right now. Being a Kobe torchbearer is rarer. Both Brunson and Nike know that.
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