Due to the All-Star break, the NBA week was shortened, but stars around the league brought out their best kicks when play resumed.
Sole separation was a big story this past week, with Vince Carter and Isaiah Thomas running the risk of playing in vintage Nikes. Carter dusted off his 14-year old Nike Shox VC4 signature sneakers, while Thomas played in the "POP" Nike Zoom Kobe 4 from 2009. The soles of both shoes detached from the upper mid-game, leaving them to finish out in current performance models. Hopefully this doesn't discourage players like Carter and Thomas from continuing to bring out older models, as it makes sneaker watching much more enjoyable.
Collaborations have an increased presence around the league, particularly shining during the All-Star Game. LeBron James won MVP honors in a Nike LeBron 15 by Kith's Ronnie Fieg, DeMar DeRozan turned heads with mismatched Undefeated x Nike Zoom Kobe 1s and Dame Lillard had a sneaker moment with his Bape-designed Adidas Dame 4s. With celebrity endorsers stealing some of the juice away from athletes, perhaps the next logical step is a push toward merging both worlds.
See how ruined vintage sneakers and hyped up collaborations affected this week's NBA #SoleWatch Power Rankings below.
11.
Due to the All-Star break, the NBA week was shortened, but stars around the league brought out their best kicks when play resumed.
Sole separation was a big story this past week, with Vince Carter and Isaiah Thomas running the risk of playing in vintage Nikes. Carter dusted off his 14-year old Nike Shox VC4 signature sneakers, while Thomas played in the "POP" Nike Zoom Kobe 4 from 2009. The soles of both shoes detached from the upper mid-game, leaving them to finish out in current performance models. Hopefully this doesn't discourage players like Carter and Thomas from continuing to bring out older models, as it makes sneaker watching much more enjoyable.
Collaborations have an increased presence around the league, particularly shining during the All-Star Game. LeBron James won MVP honors in a Nike LeBron 15 by Kith's Ronnie Fieg, DeMar DeRozan turned heads with mismatched Undefeated x Nike Zoom Kobe 1s and Dame Lillard had a sneaker moment with his Bape-designed Adidas Dame 4s. With celebrity endorsers stealing some of the juice away from athletes, perhaps the next logical step is a push toward merging both worlds.
See how ruined vintage sneakers and hyped up collaborations affected this week's NBA #SoleWatch Power Rankings below.
10.P.J. Tucker
Team: Houston Rockets
Last Week: 1
Season Stats: 5.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 0.8 APG
Sneakers: Steve Wiebe x Air Jordan 10 Retro
9.Marcus Morris
Team: Boston Celtics
Last Week: Not Ranked
Season Stats: 12.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.3 APG
Sneakers: Air Jordan 32 "MVP," Kith x Nike LeBron 15 Performance
8.Rudy Gay
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Last Week: Not Ranked
Season Stats: 11.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.5 APG
Sneakers: Air Jordan 11 Retro "Concord"
7.Kyrie Irving
Team: Boston Celtics
Last Week: 3
Season Stats: 24.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 5.1 APG
Sneakers: Nike Kyrie 4 "All-Star," Nike Kyrie 4 "City Guardians," Nike Kyrie 4 White/Green PE
6.Mike Scott
Team: Washington Wizards
Last Week: Not Ranked
Season Stats: 9.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 0.9 APG
Sneakers: Nike KD 4 "EYBL," Nike KD 4 "Gold Medal"
5.DeMar DeRozan
Team: Toronto Raptors
Last Week: 7
Season Stats: 23.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.2 APG
Sneakers: Undefeated x Nike Zoom Kobe 1 Protro "Green Camo," Undefeated x Nike Zoom Kobe 1 Protro "Red Camo," Nike Kobe 11 Elite Low Red/Gold PE
4.LeBron James
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Last Week: 8
Season Stats: 23.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.2 APG
Sneakers: Kith x Nike LeBron 15 Performance, Nike LeBron 15 "Graffiti," Nike LeBron 15 Wine/Gold "Swoosh" PE
3.Vince Carter
Team: Sacramento Kings
Last Week: Not Ranked
Season Stats: 5.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.3 APG
Sneakers: Nike Air Max Dominate "BHM," Nike Air Max Dominate Purple/Silver PE, Nike Shox VC4
2.Isaiah Thomas
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Last Week: 5
Season Stats: 14.4 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 4.5 APG
Sneakers: Nike Zoom Kobe 4 "Del Sol," Nike Zoom Kobe 4 "POP," Nike Kobe A.D. Mid "Lakers" PE
1.Montrezl Harrell
Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Last Week: 2
Season Stats: 9.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.7 APG
Sneakers: Air Jordan 9 Retro "Johnny Kilroy," Air Jordan 14 Retro Low "Laney," Nike LeBron 10 EXT "Cork," Nike LeBron 15 "Wavy Lif3" Custom