This week in kicks: It's 'Dame 9' time for Dyson

• Caitlin Clarke's personal edition Kobe 5 Protro
• Dyson Daniels laces up Dame 9s
• University of Oregon rock Lebron 22 PEs

The NBL and WNBL finals are just beginning, the NBA has begun its post-All-Star sprint to the finish, and in college basketball March is just days away.
But as things heat up on the court, they also get more exciting in the world of sneakers, from Aussie players to Aussie brands getting plenty of love in the basketball world.

Dyson Daniels jumps ship from Nike

Since being drafted, Dyson Daniels has been a loyal Nike athlete, a particularly big fan of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s signature line from his very first game in the NBA.
But following the NBA All-Star break, Daniels took the floor against the Magic wearing a signature shoe not just from a different athlete, but a different brand, sporting a pair of the adidas Dame 9.

While it’s not yet clear whether Daniels has signed with Adidas, or is currently a sneaker free agent, it’s apparent that he has left the swoosh behind, making a loud statement in Atlanta’s loss to Orlando by lacing up a pair from his former brand’s arch-nemesis.

Daniels isn’t the first Aussie to ditch the Beaverton-based brand this season, with Josh Green also leaving Nike late last year to become one of a growing number of NBA players to sign with Sketchers.

Caitlin Clark pump-fakes fans with Kobe PE

Caitlin Clark set the basketball world on fire last season, turning a historic final college year into a mind-blowing WNBA rookie season, smashing records every other day.
As Clark’s legend grew, so did the conversations around her sneaker deal, and the possibility of a Caitlin Clark signature shoe with Nike.

While not a signature sneaker, a viral tweet (or X post) did the rounds this week, teasing an upcoming Indiana Fever-inspired personal edition of the Kobe 5 Protro for Clark.

But it seems that fans may have bitten on a pump fake here - while the shoe does exist, Sole Retriever has since confirmed that the shoe is not a planned release in 2025, instead remaining exclusively inside the reigning Rookie of the Year’s closet.

Jaylen Brown rocks Aussie’s ASICS

Jaylen Brown has been on somewhat of a sneaker soul-searching mission of late, following the launch of his own brand 741 and their performance basketball sneaker the 741 Rover.

Brown was previously signed to adidas, and has been involved in a years-long feud with Nike which included wearing Kobes with the swoosh covered up in the finals, and allegations of brand-based snubbing from the 2024 Olympic team.

But the Celtics star sent some love down under this week, wearing the ASICS GT 2160 collaboration with Australian brand Earls, founded by former NRL player Lewi Brown.

Earls has made appearances in the NBA before, worn by athletes like Josh Green, and Brown now becomes the latest pro-baller to don the Sydney-based label, pulling on one of ASICS hottest releases of 2024.

College basketball bonanza

There’s still a few days until March, but college basketball teams have already started the madness, with a number of high-profile sneaker collabs dropping with a number of NCAA powerhouses.

Oregon University — the alma mater of Nike founder Phil Knight — was blessed with three new LeBron 22 PEs, while Kevin Durant also embraced his former college, dropping a ‘Texas’ themed rendition of his 18th signature shoe as Phoenix returned to the Lone Star State for a game against the Spurs at the Moody Center.

Not to be left out, Michael Jordan and Jordan brand blessed the UNC Tar Heels, with the playing group all receiving a pair of the upcoming Jordan 3 ‘Lucky Short’, based on the uniform the Bulls legend used to wear while at Chapel Hill.

Rounding this out was the University of Houston, who unveiled a brand-new 53,000 square foot training facility inspired by the Jordan 11, while Kansas, Miami and Indiana unveiled collaborations with fashion brand Fear Of God - although the latter walked back their announcement days later.

FIT OF THE WEEK: Sami Whitcomb

Every week, we’ll pick one Aussie or Aussie-adjacent hooper who has put together the fit of the week.
It’s back-to-back MVP fits this week, with newly-crowned WNBL MVP Sami Whitcomb arriving to collect her award in style.
Whitcomb is rocking a matching turquoise set from adidas’ ‘Y-3’ collaboration with Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, with silver and black adidas sambas on foot.