Ron Artest III just revealed to TMZ Sports that he had a pair of Kobe Bryant game-worn kicks ... and instead of keeping them safe and sound, he used 'em to play ball.
... and, completely destroyed them!!!
The 22-year-old hooper -- and son of ex-NBA's Ron Artest aka Metta Sandiford-Artest -- says he's a huge Bryant fan and even mimics his moves on the court.
And, you would think, with his dad being Bryant's former teammate, that he got exclusive workouts with the late Hall of Famer -- but that's not the case.