Kobe is the last of a dying breed. The iso-hungry, hero-ball scorer, modeled so much of his game after Michael Jordan that the video mash-ups of identical moves span full half-hour segments on YouTube. The game has since changed and Kobe’s style of play doesn’t necessarily warrant a ton of fans in today’s NBA, but Nike Basketball is referencing the Black Mamba’s greatness with this "Last Emperor" colorway. Fans of the Beethoven 9's, or the HTM 10's, will love the familiar high-contrast black and white Flyknit aesthetic, as the Oreo-like theme is accented with a Metallic Silver Swoosh, synthetic snakeskin graphics, and a Court Purple icy outsole. The heel even features a unique Sheath logo, with an empirical selection of flowers.