Most people associate Kobe Bryant with the purple and gold of Los Angeles. It makes sense. He spent twenty years there. He won five rings there. But if you really knew the man, you knew that deep down, under that Laker skin, he bled midnight green. Seeing kobe in eagles jersey wasn't some marketing stunt or a casual celebrity bandwagon moment. It was a homecoming.
He was a kid from Philly. Specifically, a kid from Lower Merion. Even when he was conquering the basketball world from a zip code in California, he was the guy getting nervous before every kickoff in Philadelphia. He called himself a "neurotic" Eagles fan. Honestly, that’s the most relatable thing about him.
The Night Kobe Lost His Mind Over the Birds
There is this video. You’ve probably seen it if you hang out on sports Twitter or Reddit. It’s February 4, 2018. Super Bowl LII. The Eagles are facing Tom Brady and the Patriots. It’s the final play—the Hail Mary that felt like it hung in the air for an eternity.
Vanessa Bryant is filming. Kobe is standing in their living room, holding his infant daughter, Bianka. He’s not the "Black Mamba" in this moment. He’s just a dad from Philadelphia. When the ball hits the turf and the Eagles finally clinch their first-ever Super Bowl, Kobe doesn’t just clap. He explodes.
"Oh thank God! We won the f***ing Super Bowl!"
He’s jumping. He’s running around the room. He’s doing a little victory dance while still holding the baby. It’s pure, unadulterated joy. It was a side of Kobe we rarely saw—the fan who suffered through the lean years and finally saw the mountaintop.
Why the 2005 McNabb Jersey Moment Mattered
Long before the 2018 celebration, there was a specific night at the Staples Center that stuck in everyone's memory. It was February 3, 2005. The Lakers were playing the Spurs. Kobe was actually injured at the time, so he wasn't in uniform. Instead, he showed up sitting on the bench wearing a #5 Donovan McNabb Eagles jersey.
The timing? The Eagles were playing the Patriots in the Super Bowl that coming Sunday.
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He didn't care about the optics of wearing another city's jersey while representing LA. He wanted his team to know he was with them. This wasn't just about fashion. It was about loyalty. Interestingly, the Lakers' crowd—mostly Dodgers and Rams fans—didn't even boo. They just accepted it because Kobe’s Philly roots were part of his legend.
That Iconic Michael Vick Jersey Swap
One of the coolest stories involves Michael Vick. Back in 2010, after Vick won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, he and Kobe met up. They did a jersey swap. But here’s the thing: Kobe didn't just take the jersey and put it in a frame in his office.
He actually wore it.
Vick later shared that Kobe told him, "Be great." It was a simple directive, but coming from a guy who lived by the Mamba Mentality, it carried the weight of the world. Seeing kobe in eagles jersey (specifically Vick’s #7) became a symbol of two Philly icons acknowledging each other’s grind.
The Mamba Mentality Inside the Eagles Locker Room
Kobe wasn't just a fan from afar. He actually got involved. In 2017, during that magical Super Bowl run, the Eagles were in Southern California for a week. Kobe went to their hotel. He spoke to the team for about ten minutes.
He didn't give a generic "go get 'em" speech. He talked about detail. He talked about the "killer mentality." Players like Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Graham still talk about that meeting. He told them they were "special." He saw the championship DNA in them before they even hoisted the trophy.
The Green Beanie and the Final Appearance
One of the last public images we have of Kobe is from a Mavericks-Lakers game. He was sitting courtside with Gianna. He had on that famous orange WNBA hoodie. But look closer at his head. He was wearing a green Eagles beanie.
It was a quiet, constant reminder of where he came from.
That beanie eventually became part of his permanent legacy. If you visit the statue of Kobe and Gianna outside the Crypto.com Arena, you'll notice the incredible detail the sculptors included. Right there, etched in bronze, is the Eagles cap. It’s a permanent bridge between the city that raised him and the city that made him a god.
How Kobe’s Legacy Still Lives in Philly
The connection didn't die in 2020. The Eagles made sure of that. They installed a massive mural at their NovaCare Complex practice facility. It’s right outside the locker room. It lists Kobe’s "10 Rules," including:
- Get better every day.
- Learn from wins and losses.
- Trust your work.
Current players like Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley still cite Kobe as a primary influence. Barkley wears an earring with Kobe’s sheath logo. Darius Slay originally chose the number 24 when he joined the Eagles specifically to honor the Mamba.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to celebrate this specific cross-section of sports history, here’s what you should know:
- The "Girl Dad" Sneaker Connection: The Nike Zoom Kobe 4 Protro "Girl Dad" released in 2024 features a "Bicoastal" green color. While it's officially a nod to the WNBA hoodie photo, the shade is nearly identical to Eagles midnight green—a double tribute.
- The Super Bowl LII Jersey: While Kobe wore a McNabb jersey in 2005, the jersey he was wearing (or holding) during the 2018 Super Bowl celebration remains one of the most sought-after "fan" items in sports memorabilia circles.
- The Mural Location: If you ever get a chance to tour the Eagles' facilities, the Kobe mural is located near the weight room and locker entrance—the high-traffic area where players need that extra 1% of motivation.
Kobe Bryant proved you can leave your hometown without ever letting your hometown leave you. He was the king of Los Angeles, but whenever the Eagles took the field, he was just another kid from Philly hoping for a win.
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To truly understand the Mamba, you have to understand the Eagle. They were two sides of the same fiercely competitive coin.
Next Steps for Fans: You can find the viral video of Kobe's Super Bowl celebration on the Eagles' official YouTube channel or social media archives to see the raw emotion of a lifelong fan. If you are a sneaker collector, look for the "Bicoastal" green Kobe 4s as they are the closest official link to his Eagles fandom available in footwear today.