It's finally here. The moment Kobeheads have been waiting for. Gather your friends around the computer screen and watch the world premiere of the first installment (four more commercials are coming) of the Genius campaign starring Kobe Bryant, the Nike Zoom Kobe III basketball shoe and Leonardo da Vinci:

Download .mov file (right-click and 'save as') | Get Quicktime (free)

Why is da Vinci considered a genius? Listen to Kobe talk about da Vinci's contributions to both art and science:

Finally, check out some photos of Kobe as da Vinci from the set, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes:

You can see another commercial spot, featuring Kobe as a different Genius, soon. So check back often. You'll want to be the first on your block to see how this unfolds...

Talk about the shoe and the Genius campaign in the KB24.com forums.