It was just a couple of months ago that Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and Nike dropped the Nike Zoom III. The duo isn’t wasting anytime putting out another shoe, but this isn’t just another shoe. The Nike Hyperdunk claims to be Nike’s lightest and strongest basketball shoe ever. The Hyperdunk weighs in at 13 ounces and is expected to be debuted by Kobe on Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers.

While new shoes are always newsworthy to me, there was something that Kobe Bryant said at the press conference that really stood out. He was asked what he thought about the Olympic protest and offered this answer:

“I think we could use the opportunity to try to turn a negative into a positive. And the positive being raising awareness for what’s going on and I think if there’s a silver lining in this whole situation I think that could be it. There’s a stage now created for the whole world to see what’s going on and for everybody to jump in and help out.”

It might not seem like a lot, but for Kobe to offer an opinion on a social issue is a big deal. The topic seems like something Bryant had thought about before, and he sounds sincere. KB24 is constantly compared to Michael Jordan, but one thing MJ never did was speak on pertinent issues. If Kobe becomes a champion of causes and picks up a few more rings, he might finally achieve his goal of being greater than Jordan.

Kobe Bryant On Olympic Protest. Courtesy of CNBC.com

Nike Launches the Hyperdunk, its Lightest and Strongest Basketball Shoe Ever. Courtesy of Nike Biz

Tags: Kobe Bryant, NBA, Nike, Hyperdunk, Olympic Protest