Schieffelin Dons Mamba Kicks in 'The House Kobe Built'

Wearing Kobe’s in ‘The House Kobe Built’ is a bold proposition but Clemson’s Ian Schieffelin did so and didn’t shame the shoes as the Tigers advanced to the Elite Eight.

Schieffelin helped sixth-seeded Clemson take down second-seeded Arizona. He wore the late Kobe Bryant’s signature Nike shoes in Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as STAPLES Center, where Bryant won five NBA Championships to become a Hall of Famer.

It might not have been like Bryant, but Schieffelin made his impact. The ACC’s Most Improved Player finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. He added two steals and block on the defensive end.

The shoes were obviously in honor of Bryant but also Schieffelin’s brother, who grew up watching the Los Angeles Lakers star. He was asked postgame if the “Mamba Mentality” as on display in the victory.

“Shout-out to my brother. He’s a big Kobe Bryant guy. I guess you could say that,” Schieffelin said.

Before Schieffelin could even finish his answer, head coach Brad Brownell practically leaned over the table from three chairs down to put in his two cents as his budding star had a massive smile.

“Please do not compare yourself to Kobe Bryant,” Brownell joked, kind of.

The junior standout responded, saying his teammate RJ Godfrey calls him Kevin Durant at times. Brownell wasn’t biting the comparisons to the former NBA Champion and MVP, and had a far older comparison.

“Bill Laimbeer rings true to me. You don’t even know who that is,” Brownell said.

Schieffelin is the player that has gained a following because he looks like an everyday person, but he’s far more than that on the basketball court as Clemson rides this momentum into the Elite Eight and a chance to reach the first Final Four in program history.