Adidas Drops Kobe Bryant's 2002 NBA All-Star Game Sneakers

Originally posted on Sneakers on SI | By Pat Benson | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 12:20 PM ET

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Long before Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant adopted the "Black Mamba" nickname and built a sneaker empire with Nike, the seeds for his alter ego were planted during his adidas tenure. Specifically, during what was supposed to be a career-defining moment in his hometown.

Bryant won the 2002 NBA All-Star Game MVP in Philadelphia and was relentlessly booed by his hometown fans. Who could blame them? The Lakers were riding a three-peat, and Bryant had extinguished the 76ers in the NBA Finals two years prior.

The young superstar held back tears as he lifted the All-Star Game MVP Trophy. The dramatic events all transpired while Bryant wore his second signature sneaker — the adidas Kobe 2.

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Of course, Bryant left adidas later that year and would eventually sign with Nike. Since then, adidas has removed all Kobe logos and rebranded Bryant's retro hoop shoes, re-releasing them periodically over the years. This is not an official collaboration between the Bryant estate and adidas.

But for the first time ever, the adidas Crazy 2.0 'All-Star' colorway has returned as a retro model. Online shoppers can buy the basketball shoes for $160 in adult sizes at adidas.com.

The 'All-Star' colorway sports a Cloud White upper contrasted by shades of purple and gold reminiscent of the Lakers' uniforms. The inner collar features Core Black to complete the iconic look.

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The adidas Crazy 2.0 is no longer considered a performance model. However, it retains much of the same technology as the original design. The sleek molded upper sits on a midsole featuring Lightstrike in the forefoot and Lightstrike Pro in the heel.

Meanwhile, the Torsion System underfoot provides stability. Lastly, a rubber outsole featuring a herringbone pattern provides the foundation of the old-school hoop shoes.

Last month, adidas released the Crazy 2.0 in the "Metallic Silver" colorway. Hopefully, this marks the beginning of many more styles to be released in the future.

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Bryant's second signature sneaker with adidas was polarizing at the time, and is still unapologetically bold. Basketball players and fans either love or hate it (consider us one of its biggest proponents).