Things can change quickly in the NBA. Just yesterday, the Miami Heat cruised to their fourteenth straight win, tying a franchise record. Meanwhile, on the West Coast, there's the Los Angeles Lakers, who for the first time since the '93-94 NBA season are faced with the possibility of not making the Playoffs. Rather than speculate on the outcome of this season, Sneaker Report flashes back to one year ago: March 4, 2012, when things were drastically different for both franchises.
On March 4, 2012, LeBron James had yet to slide a Championship Ring around his finger. Just weeks prior, during the NBA All-Star Game, Kobe Bryant had taken a hard foul to the face from Heat guard Dwyane Wade, forcing him to wear a protective face mask. But if there were any doubts that the plastic layer would hinder Bryant's game, he put them to rest on this night, dropping a game-high 33 points while Metta World Peace chipped in another 17. Maybe Kobe felt he had something to prove in the midst of all the LeBron hype, or maybe he just wanted a dose of revenge on Dwyane Wade for his nose injury. Whatever it was that set Bryant off on March 4, 2012, he and his Laker teammates were able to defeat the season's eventual champions with a score of 93-83.
There's no denying Kobe's had a hell of a season this year in the Nike Kobe 8, but it remains to be seen if he will be able to lead his team to the Playoffs. The good news is that if you want to relive some of Kobe's biggest moments from last season, you can pick up the Nike Zoom Kobe VII today from Eastbay for $110 with free shipping. The low-profile model features a next-gen Flywire upper for support along with forefoot and heel Zoom Air units for cushion and responsiveness.
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