Nike Taipei Celebrates Lin Chih-Chieh's Retirement With Special Kobe Gift

After 25 seasons, Taiwan's Lin Chih-chieh is retiring from professional basketball. To celebrate the occasion, Nike Taipei has put together a special retirement gift for "Beast Lin," which includes a custom Kobe 8 EXT "Year of the Horse" Protro, Destroyer Jacket, and basketball.

The Super Basketball League (SBL) veteran achieved a decorated career from 2001 to 2026, earning Regular Season Most Valuable Player awards, consecutive Championship Series MVP awards, and scoring titles. His play on-court inspired countless fans in his home nation—especially those also of Amis descent—to work at their discipline, be it basketball or something else. His "Best Lin" moniker has gone on to inspire a personal logo and branded products, some made with the help of Nike.

Chih-chieh's retirement gift from the Swoosh includes a custom pair of the Kobe 8 EXT "Year of the Horse" Protro. Clad in faux pony hair, the Nike Basketball sneaker plays into the hooper's nickname. Kobe Bryant's signature shoe series has always been Beast Lin's favorite, and the black-and-gold pair is no exception. It's been customized with nods to the player's "12" and "27" jersey numbers, and features his beast eye logo on the medial heel.

A special-edition Nike Destroyer Jacket further celebrates Chih-chieh in style. The piece's right chest has his English surname, while the left chest sees two symbols of friendship and basketball. The back of the jacket features a more octagonal flower figure that speaks to the athlete's cultural ties to the Amis people.

Lastly, a custom basketball rounds out the retirement gift in a stealthy color scheme that matches the Kobes and Destroyer Jacket. "All the best. All the beast." messaging appears on the design, further nodding to Chih-chieh's nickname and wishing him a good post-basketball life.

Enjoy detailed photos of Nike Taipei's Player-Exclusive capsule ahead.

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