After a weekend of hoops, looking back at the sneakers guys chose to wear is always a fascinating study. Sometimes it’s a look into opulence. Many NBA guys have access to sneakers the rest of us could only dream of. And the NBA’s upper-crust? They have the individualized and coveted sneakers we can’t even fathom. And they go hoop in them.
Whether it’s Like Mike, Do The Right Thing, or even a Jordan commercial from the 80’s, one question is always asked: is it the shoes?
This weekend, we saw a handful of spectacular retro sneakers. While none of them necessarily gave anyone superpowers, they didn’t not give their owner powers. Plus- something had to be central to Anthony Edwards flying through the air… right?
HOLY GOD. Poster dunk of the year by Anthony Edwards pic.twitter.com/JgK6zSxV5F
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 20, 2021
Trezz Out the ‘Boks
Montrezl Harrell is one of the few Reebok athletes left in the NBA. As a rotational and energetic big man for the LA Lakers, his high flying sneakers get a lot of air time. And he clearly knows it. Trezz wore some custom “MONSTA TREZZ” purple, gold, and black kicks in the first half of the Miami game. This modern Reebok pump is his customized pair, as he let us know on Instagram:
He went full Dee Brown with the Reebok Pumps in the second half.These go HARD folks…
Harden Sneakers’ Old-School Vibe
Adidas and Reebok recently split up amidst growth in the Adidas Basketball brand. While Trezz is one of the few, proud Reebok sponsored NBA athletes, Adidas has the likes of James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, and Trae Young. And Adidas is taking some of those Reebok lessons and applying them to their current stars.
Take these Harden Vol. 5’s. They’re the top of the line for Adidas basketball performance, but the silhouette? It screams old school. The big color blobs feel like something designed in the mid 90’s, and the bright yellow is reminiscent of fashion in the mid-aughts. Be on the look out for similar vibes from Lillard and Mitchell, each of whom have signature sneakers of their own, in the near future.
G is for Gold Sneakers
JG got three FIBA Gold Medals by the time he was 17. pic.twitter.com/rQutiKLR0U
— SLAM Kicks (@SLAMKicks) February 23, 2021
A year from now, Jalen Green may very well be a household name. The teenager opted to play with the G-League Team Ignite instead of college ball or heading overseas this year.
He may be young, but these KD IV’s show he’s had shoe game for a while. The KD IV is one of Durant’s most iconic silhouettes. The Gold Medal colorway was made for the medal stage in the 2012 London Olympics. Green? He was 10-years-old. Well done, youngin’.
Day of the Dead Body Sneakers
Speaking of the Damian Lillard sneaker, clearly they have some kind of superpowers. They are the kicks that propelled Anthony Edwards to the moon before he thundered down the dunk of the season thus far.
Edwards was wearing the Adidas Dame 7 “Day of the Dead” colorway, complete with designs to honor the Mexican holiday. While it is an incredibly intricate design, it seemed to be a sneak peek at what was going to happen at the rim over the weekend.
And Lillard noticed:
It’s got to be the shoes ? @brkicks @theantedwards_ threw down the dunk of the year in a pair of @Dame_Lillard’s shoes pic.twitter.com/XINJTCgLFp
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 20, 2021
For more of my writing on sports, sneakers, and the Houston Rockets, follow me @painsworth512, or just check out what I’m wearing at my day job @TeachInKicks101! Be sure to give our podcasts “F” In Sports and “The Midweek Midrange” a listen wherever you listen to podcasts!
