words by Nick DePaula

I’m not exactly sure how the Lakers pulled off their 20-point comeback against the defending champion Spurs earlier tonight. The Spurs rarely, if ever, let up on huge leads in regular season games, let alone the first playoff game of the Conference Finals. But, after the halftime trade of his Hyperdunks for his signature Zoom Kobe III’s, we saw an ignited Kobe Bryant and a renewed assertiveness in the game from the reigning MVP, as he went on to score 25 of his 27 points in the 2nd half. (I personally like the Hyperdunk more than the Zoom Kobe III, so go figure.)

While the Lakers clicked throughout the entire second half and the bench actually contributed after an inconsistent series against Utah, it was certainly Kobe’s determination to bring his team back from their deep third quarter deficit that ended up being the difference. Let’s take a look at the footwear seen tonight at Staples Center, and for once I actually have something good to say about Bruce Bowen.

Phil Jackson wondered if Kobe was lost in the Bermuda Triangle as compared to running the Triangle, as Bruce Bowen put the clamps on the seemingly passive Bryant throughout the first half. While wearing an unseen colorway of the Nike Hyperdunk, Kobe only took three shots, but I like to chalk it up to the power of the Zoom Flight ‘95. It’s thirteen years after they originally released, and they look just as futuristic as the “Future of Nike Basketball” worn by Bryant. (Both are thanks to Nike designer Eric Avar)

After a sluggish start, the MVP switched to his Zoom Kobe IIIs at halftime and instantly returned to form, attacking the basket, knocking down long jumpers and impressively finding the open teammate when the situation demanded. Both Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher are wearing the Air Barwin in player exclusive colorways. (And yes — Referee Danny Crawford is wearing the black and white Air Jordan 10 Retro. He seriously stocked up on tons of pairs and has been wearing them the past few seasons. If there’s enough demand, I’ll keep you posted when Referee Sneaker Shots will debut. I did once run into Bob Delaney at the Nike Employee Store and he was rocking heat.)

Tony Parker knifed through the Laker defense time and time again for easy baskets, but his efforts weren’t enough to offset Manu Ginobili’s awful shooting night. However, his Huarache 08s are early candidates for best model colorway. I hear he prefers the sleek and sexy look. (Brandon Roy’s are a close 2nd.)

Since Kobe only gives his sidekick a handful of freebies during the season, human dancing machine Ronny Turiaf was forced to stick with his Hyperdunks for the entirety of the game. It’s the same colorway that Bryant wore, and the purple Vectran strands along the clear Flywire panelling are a nice touch. Tim Duncan is wearing the adidas TS Pro Model here, but in a higher cut than the release version.

(All images courtesy YahooSports.com)

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