In 1998, Kobe Bryant went on his first individual headlining tour of Asia with Adidas. Bryant and the Three Stripes flew to the other side of the world to Manila, Philippines for three days in the midst of the NBA’s 204 day labor dispute lockout. Bryant embraced Filipino culture on the tour, scrimmaging with kids in the streets, putting on a show in the iconic Araneta Colosseum (the home of the “Thrilla in Manika” boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier), and even riding a Filipino jeepney around the city.
Bryant wasn’t the first NBA star to travel overseas to globalize the game of basketball. But he was the one who popularized the practice that has now become commonplace for both NBA and WNBA superstars.
“Yeah…the way he's received here, even after his death, it's insane,” Jalen Williams told Complex during his 2026 J Dub Tour in Shanghai and Tokyo. “It's hard to go into a store out here and not see something Kobe-related. And just in Asia in general, you can go to the Philippines, China, anywhere and he gets received very well in Asia.”
It’s the second straight year that Williams has traveled to Asia with Adidas, continuing the tradition started by his all-time favorite player nearly 30 years ago. Williams is an NBA champion, an All-Star, and an All-NBA team member all before the age of 25, but he’s still caught off guard by the love he gets from his international fans.
On most international tours, players are there to spread awareness of their brands to global markets, but they’re also there to debut new product—whether it was Anthony Edwards and the Adidas AE 2 last summer or LeBron and the Nike LeBron 23 just a few weeks later. Williams doesn’t have a signature shoe just yet, but he did confirm to Complex throughout the week in Asia that one is coming, and it’s coming soon.
“It's going to be dope,” Williams said of headlining an Asia tour while having his own signature shoe. “In my head, I was always like, ‘Keep coming out here and just have fun.’ Now it's turning into this thing where, by the time it happens, it'll be a pretty big showing.”
We sat down with Williams in Tokyo during the last stop of his tour to talk about the love that fans have for him in Asia, the legacy of sneaker tours, and what he plans to pick up while he’s out here. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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Complex: What surprised you the most about the presence of international basketball in China?
Jalen Williams: I'm going to be real, from a personal standpoint, it's still kind of hard to wrap my head around the fact that when we go around the world, people know what I'm doing. I don't know if it's because I do very regular things on a daily basis, so I don't think about it. But when I come to these events—you can ask any of my friends—I really don't think people are going to be here. So the fact that there's a turnout and love, and there are people who went to my camp last year that come here and do it, I think it's really cool. And just the global reception is super dope.
It was the same thing this year, but going back to last year when you first hopped off the plane, when you saw people actually at the airport, what was that first moment like? Like, "Oh, we're in China and I've got hundreds of fans here."
It's still crazy, bro. Last year we landed—I had a 12-hour delay—so we landed at 2:00 or 3:00 AM, and there were hundreds of people outside. And then this year, they were running alongside the van and were just there. It's crazy. It's hard to wrap my head around that. And I think that goes back to what I was talking about earlier. It's like I don't really notice that I have that impact while I'm doing it because I'm just doing stuff that I think is fun.
What do you feel like the difference is between the international fans and the fans stateside?
I feel like there's just a lot more energy because there's not as much basketball out here. So when I'm able to come out here, do some of the activations, interact with fans, and kind of run around and do stuff that they like doing, I don't think they get to see that as often as you do in the States. It's way easier if you're in Phoenix to go watch the Suns play than to see me play when you're out here. So I try to take that into account when I come out here, and I try to play in a lot of the stuff—like when I was in China to do that workout, or wanting to be one of the first people to do a camp out here—because I think it's just dope to be able to interact in ways that they don't really get to see as much.
What are the differences that you've seen between sneaker culture and street style culture in the United States versus here?
It's just totally different. I think out here it's a little more effortless. I think people are wearing stuff because it's comfortable, and it just happens to be fly. I feel like the States is a little more intentional, with people going out and trying to put fits together and all that. I think here it's—I don't want to say accidental, but it's some of the work clothes. You see some of the workers, and they have some stuff on; I would put that on for a fit if I was going out somewhere, but it's stuff that makes sense for them. So I think that's the cool cultural difference.
What's a moment that you've experienced with fans out here that you wish you could share back home?
I don't know if I've had too many different ones. I think the biggest thing is that it's harder to play and do live workouts the way I did in the States. But again, I think that's just more of an accessibility thing. It's much more likely that you would accidentally walk into a gym in the States and see me or another NBA player working out than you would here. So I don't know if I've had too much of a different interaction.
When did it first hit you that people out here were following your basketball career and life, thousands of miles away?
Honestly, my rookie year. For whatever reason, they gravitated toward me right from when I was drafted. And I don't really think I understood it until this past year when I went to China for the first time. I think this year, seeing the impact—they really know a lot. They have my baby pictures out here! They are really tapped into what's going on in my life.
I know we just got in yesterday, but what's your favorite thing that you've eaten in Japan so far?
I've been here a couple of times. There's a burger in Osaka. I'm gatekeeping—no cap—but there's a Wagyu burger in Osaka that we will be going to. Are you guys going to Osaka?
No
Oh, well then that sucks for you guys [laughs]. You'll see it on my story, but there's a burger spot out there that I will go to that's fire.
What are you shopping for?
Watches.
Any specific brands, or...?
You want me to say a Swatch or something?
Well, I bought a watch out here this year , but I imagine it's different than what you’re shopping for.
What'd you get?
I got a Grand Seiko.
Oh, there are a ton of them out here. Lowkey, I think one of my strength coaches was looking for one of those. I kind of want something vintage, and I want something kind of expensive, so we'll see. This is like the watch capital of the world. What's the thing called—Nakano Broadway or something? I went there last year and I bought... What did I get last year? I bought a Cartier and what's the bust-down one I got? Why am I blanking on it? Franck Muller. I got a Franck Muller last year.
How many watches do you have?
I have two APs, a couple of Cartiers... maybe like eight.
Do you buy them for specific occasions? I know a lot of people do. Did you buy one when you won your first championship?
Yes. Yeah, yeah, they're all occasional. The two Cartiers I have were from my first times out here. Then that Franck Muller was last year. You know what I mean? So they usually have some type of significance.
I don't know if you had a chance to look around the store here, but there's a whole display case up front of signed KDs, signed Kobes, signed Hardens—a bunch of people who have come over here and had the same experience that you've had. What is it like carrying on that legacy and being another name of someone who has had their own individual Asian tour?
I mean, it's crazy. I know everybody on the internet is going to clown me, but my favorite player is Kobe. So being in the same rooms and doing that whole thing, it's surreal. And like you said, KD and Harden have been in here; those are guys that we literally get compared to on a daily basis. Obviously, coming off of doing the Harden tour and doing his whole shoot, it's definitely wild. It's stuff you don't fully realize until after you leave, where it kind of hits you a little more.
Do you think Kobe's the one who kind of popularized this and made it big?
Yeah. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to claim he was the first person to do it—I haven't done enough research on it—but the way he's received here, even after his death, it's insane. It's hard to go into a store out here and not see something Kobe-related. And just in Asia in general—you can go to the Philippines, China, anywhere—he gets received very well in Asia.
On this tour, you've teased it a couple of times, but how much more special is it going to be for you to be able to come out here and have a headlining tour like this when you have your own shoe?
It's going to be dope. In my head, I was always like, "Keep coming out here and just have fun." Now it's turning into this thing where, by the time it happens, it'll be a pretty big showing, and I'll have done so much stuff out here. I really know my way around now, and I'm really excited for that.
