In 2016, Nike honored the career of Kobe Bryant with each of his signature models in a special “Fade to Black” colorway, slowly transitioning from white with the Kobe 1 to black with his final on-court model, the Kobe 11. Designed by Eric Avar, who now has a long-time history with Bryant, and using Flywire, the Nike Kobe 5 was on the lighter side of his line which weighed in at 10.6 ounces. Bryant wore the Kobe 5 while defeating the Boston Celtics to take home the NBA championship. As the line slowly transitions to Black, the Kobe Zoom 5 featuring a matte grey upper for one of the cleanest looks in the entire collection.