Phil Ivey Offers Sneakerhead $42K Flip for Kobe Bryant Game-Worn Shoes
Phil Ivey showed a sneakerhead why he's a legendary gambler in a viral YouTube video.
The 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner brought a pair of Kobe Bryant game-worn sneakers to Sneaker Con in Las Vegas last month, hoping to sell them for thousands of dollars. But he took on some risk, gambling on a coinflip with the shoe dealer. Either Ivey would get $0 for the rare collector's item, or he'd win a high roller tournament buy-in.
Poker Legend Negotiates on His Terms
Bryant, the NBA legend who passed away in 2020, partnered with Nike in 2003 (previously with Adidas) to launch a shoe line that produces the most commonly worn shoes among NBA athletes. He wore hundreds of different shoes throughout his storied 20-year career.
Ivey brought a pair of game-worn sneakers from 2005, although the specific game wasn't mentioned in the video. We found a similar pair of white, yellow, and purple-colored basketball shoes worn by Kobe during a Los Angeles Lakers home game in 2005 from Getty Images.
The Poker Hall of Famer immediately began negotiating with the sneakerhead, Chase Young from the Culture Kicks YouTube channel. His "broker" offered a coinflip opportunity where if the coin lands in Ivey's favor, Chase would pay him $50,000 for the kicks. If it landed the other way, Ivey would get $0 for the valuable, rare item.
The YouTuber offered a $0/$40,000 flip, assessing the value of the pair of shoes at $20,000 to $25,000. Ivey negotiated the flip to $0/$42,500, giving both gamblers about even expected value.
"If you win you take it for free. I'm rooting for you," Ivey said upon agreeing to a deal. "Honestly, I really want you to win."
Chase flipped the coin in the air as Ivey called "tails." The coin landed on tails, meaning the sneakerhead would have to pay the poker superstar $42,500 for a pair of Kobe Bryant game-worn shoes valued at half the price. Ivey, as Howie Mandel would say, made a great deal.
The YouTube short has over 6 million views. You can watch the full, unedited version of the deal here.
