In 2002, Kobe Bryant was on top of the basketball world—his first All-Star MVP in the bag and a three-peat with the Lakers at just 23. That made him the youngest to win three titles, and the pressure was real for everyone trying to keep up. Kobe had already set the gold standard for greatness, and the league knew it. But while Kobe was rewriting history, another young star was carving out his own lane. Fresh off an Adidas deal that Kobe had turned down, Tracy McGrady was determined to show he had made the right choice.

Before T-Mac even hit the league, Kobe Bryant was already Adidas’ golden boy, the steal of the ’96 Draft with a six-year, $48 million deal at just 17. He dropped the KB8 in ’97, followed by the KB8 II, III, and then The Kobe in 2000, pushing Adidas back onto the sneaker

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