Kobe Bryant’s history with Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan signature line runs deep. 

Throughout the 2002–03 NBA season, while Bryant entertained different brands during his sneaker free agency, Nike and Jordan Brand courted the exciting young star by issuing him Los Angeles Lakers-colored exclusive versions of classic models such as the Air Jordan 3, Air Jordan 7 and Air Jordan 8. And yet, despite this historic connection, Bryant’s exclusive colorways have never been released to the public. The closest fans came was a 2016 Air Jordan 3 and Air Jordan 8 pack, but that limited-edition set was only distributed to friends and family. Now, new rumors are circulating which point to a new pair potentially taking on Kobe inspiration.

According to leakers Sneaker Market RO and @brandon1an, a new Air Jordan 4 Retro in Imperial Purple will be released during spring 2026. In-hand images of the upcoming style aren’t yet available, but an early speculative mock-up of what the sneaker could look like depicts an all-purple upper with black, white and yellow accents. 

With a full colorway of Imperial Purple/Multi-Color/Multi-Color, it’s not immediately clear where the inclusion of a Lakers yellow comes into play. However, the Imperial Purple color has previously been used on a 2011 Nike Kobe 6 release, which seems to be the source of the rumored Bryant connection.

Although the Air Jordan 4 isn’t celebrating a milestone this year like the 35th anniversary of its Air Jordan 5 successor, it is nonetheless having a big year. Highlights thus far have included Nigel Sylvester’s “Brick by Brick” collaboration, a reissue of the original White Cement style, a women’s Seafoam look and a Mother’s Day “Forget Me Not” colorway. Still to come in 2025 is the highly anticipated Undefeated collaboration, a Rare Air colorway and the return of the fan-favorite Black Cat.

The Air Jordan 4 Retro Imperial Purple has a style code of FV5029-500 and is expected to be released via Nike’s Snkrs app and from select Jordan Brand retailers on March 31. Retail pricing has not been confirmed, but current Air Jordan 4s are typically priced at $225. Given the far-off release date, it’s possible that some of the specific details could change between now and then.