Nearly seven years after its creation, a never-before-seen Nike Kobe concept has finally surfaced. Bennett Shaw, who was on the Nike Basketball product team at the time this concept was created, recently shared images and background information surrounding the unreleased “13 Regrets” Pack, a project inspired by one of the defining moments of Kobe Bryant’s legendary career.
The concept traces back to the 1996 NBA Draft, when twelve teams passed on Bryant before the Charlotte Hornets selected him with the 13th overall pick and subsequently traded his rights to the Los Angeles Lakers. Simply put, thirteen franchise-changing regrets came from that fateful night.
According to Shaw, the idea originated during a lunch meeting with Bryant and his longtime agent in Los Angeles during the summer of 2018. What began as a conversation about future colorways and marketing campaigns quickly evolved into something deeper. “We sat there listening to Kobe brainstorm colorways and campaign ideas, and he started talking about ’13 Regrets’ — a concept built around the 13 teams that passed on him in the ’96 Draft,” Shaw recalled.
Falling outside the lottery became one of the driving forces behind the relentless mindset that defined his Hall of Fame career, fueling his rise from teenage prospect to five-time NBA champion and one of basketball’s most influential figures. It’s also been the epicenter of one of the most celebrate sneaker lineages under the Kobe line, with the upcoming Kobe 4 “Draft Day” Pack continuing that legacy.
After that meeting, Shaw returned to Nike’s World Headquarters and began developing what eventually became known as the “13 Regrets” Pack. While the project never reached retail, the concept remains one of the more fascinating unreleased chapters from Bryant’s partnership with Nike. Shaw shared a first look at the unreleased sneakers as well as some internal tech-packs, providing a rare peek of what could have been, and might come in the future.
