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Natalia Bryant stars in Nike’s new ad for the Kobe 3 Protro alongside Knicks star Jalen Brunson
Natalia, the eldest daughter of the late NBA star, shows off her acting chops in the spot
The Kobe 3 Protro is a “refreshed edition of the shoe Kobe wore during his 2007-08 MVP season,” Nike said
Natalia Bryant showed off her acting skills alongside New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson in a new ad for her dad’s signature Nike sneakers.
Nike announced the drop of their new Kobe 3 Protro with a commercial starring Natalia, the eldest of Kobe Bryant’s daughters, and Brunson, a former mentee of the late basketball star.
The 22-year-old USC grad pretends to be working in a New York City shop, perfecting the design on the Kobe 3 when Brunson, an interested customer, walks in.
The Knicks star isn’t impressed with any of the jewelry options presented to him by the store owner, played by internet star Big Time Tommie, before he spots Natalia working on the sneakers.
Natalia goes on to grill Brunson about his on-court abilities to determine if he’s qualified to sport the Kobe 3 Protro before high school basketball star Aaliyah Chavez makes a cameo as a second store customer.
“The drop of the Kobe 3 Protro doesn’t just nod to Kobe’s legendary history, it’s the reintroduction of a performance basketball shoe built for today’s game,” Nike said in a statement about the new release. “This refreshed edition of the shoe that Kobe wore during his 2007-08 MVP season is all about function-first innovation that doesn’t sacrifice on the design.”
Brunson’s appearance is fitting, as he’s a known fan of Kobe sneakers. According to ESPN, the NBA All-Star wore a version of the Kobe sneaker inspired by the Statue of Liberty at the 2025 NBA playoffs, and previously sported the Kobe 6 Protro Grinch shoes in March 2024.
ESPN also noted that the new Kobe sneaker has diamond details, a nod to Natalia’s middle name, Diamanté.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
Kobe and Natalia Bryant on Feb. 26, 2018 in Los Angeles
Natalia graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California in May and honored her late father during the ceremony, as seen in a June post from her mother Vanessa Bryant.
Sewn into Natalia’s graduation sash were the words, “Thank you Mom & Dad,” in USC’s signature yellow and red colors, Vanessa shared in a video.
Natalia’s graduation sash also included her father’s sheath logo on the top left. In a 2014 interview with Esquire, Kobe said that the symbol is inspired by a samurai sword.
The sword is the “raw talent,” Bryant explained, and the sheath is “the package it’s kept in — everything you go through, your calluses and your baggage, what you learn” the magazine reported at the time.
Natalia is the eldest daughter of Vanessa and Kobe, and was born on Jan. 19, 2003.
Her sisters Gianna and Bianka were born in May 2006 and December 2016, respectively, while her youngest sister Capri was born in June 2019, just six months before Kobe and Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash.
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Since their deaths, Natalia has worked to honor her father and sister’s memories.
At a ceremony remembering Kobe in March 2023, she said, “Being his daughter is one of the greatest joys of my life, and I hope to continue to embody and cherish the many lessons he has taught me.”
Read the original article on People
