3
Feb
Footwear Focus
This week in kicks: The NBL's obsession with Anta
Kendric Davis of the 36ers wears Kyrie Irving Anta KAI 1 shoes during the round 13 NBL match between South East Melbourne Phoenix and Adelaide 36ers at John Cain Arena, on December 21, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: Kelly Defina/Getty Images
- Chinese sneaker brand Anta is new kid on the block
- Wait, what. Jordan sneaks banned on the MJ statue
- Who has the fit of the week? Dontae does
There might not be a stronger crossover in all of sports and fashion than the connection between sneakers and basketball.
What once existed purely for performance, sneaker culture has now become so intertwined with basketball that it’s basically impossible to talk about one without the other.
From historic ad campaigns to cartoon-inspired collaborations, new star signings and league-wide trends, this past week has been jam-packed with sneaker action — so let’s take a look.
THE NBL’S ANTA OBSESSION
One shoe has taken the NBL by storm this season, and it comes from a brand that many fans will have never heard of.
The brand is Anta, a Chinese sneaker brand, and the shoe is the KAI 1, the first signature shoe for Kyrie Irving with the brand after he left Nike in 2022.
MVP contender and Adelaide star Kendric Davis has been a loyal wearer of the shoe throughout the season; he made noise earlier in the year wearing a tasselled brown rendition named ‘Chief Hélà’, while more recently he has sported a more toned-down black version.
Also getting in on the action have been former MVP Jaylen Adams, as well as Tasmania star Jordon Crawford to name a few.
CHICAGO BAN THE JORDAN STATUE
One of the most famous stories in sneaker history was brought to life this week, with the rollout of the ‘Bred’ Air Jordan 1 High '85 kicking things up a notch, ‘banning’ the sneakers on the iconic Michael Jordan statue that guards Chicago’s United Center.
Ignoring for a second that the shoes that statue is wearing are actually Air Jordan 9s, the move was a viral stunt which did its job and then some, with images of the world-famous statue featuring black boxes on its feet a throwback to the NBA banning Jordan from wearing his iconic black and red Air Jordan 1s - despite the shoes that were actually banned by the league being Nike Airships.
Alongside the statue installation, Jordan Brand also released the strictly limited list of stores that will be stocking the shoes, set to release February 14.
LAMELO CHANNELS TURTLE POWER FOR LATEST RELEASE
LaMelo Ball and PUMA have become the latest brand to tap into the heroes in a half shell, unveiling a TMNT-inspired capsule featuring his entire signature line.
The PUMA MB.04 is adorned with the colours of each Ninja Turtle’s masks, one pair with blue (Leonardo) and orange (Michelangelo) while the other features red (Raphael) and purple (Donatello).
The MB.03 Lo sports a pink colourway for character Krang, and the MB.01 represents Baxter Stockman, but the best part? An exclusive MB.04 inspired by Shredder, only available if all four other pairs are purchased - only 444 pairs of these were made.
SATOU SABALLY EARNS HER STRIPES
A big-name WNBA star has switched sneaker allegiances, with two-time All-Star and current unrestricted free agent Satou Sabally making the move from Jordan Brand to adidas.
The former Dallas Wing was convinced to join the three stripes by none other than Candace Parker, the former MVP and President of Women’s Basketball for adidas, who took the German-American star through a tour of the brand’s headquarters in Germany, ultimately landing her signature.
"Satou was a priority addition to the adidas Basketball family,” Parker told ESPN’s Nick DePaula.
“Her versatility and commitment to making an impact made her a no brainer for the adidas roster. Satou is a unicorn on and off the court and we’re thrilled for her to help in building the future of adidas Basketball.”
Sabally joins an already stacked cast of adidas athletes, including Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Aliyah Boston, and Nneka Ogwumike.
FIT OF THE WEEK: Dontae Russo-Nance
Every week, we’ll pick one Aussie or Aussie-adjacent hooper who has put together the fit of the week.
This week, it’s the Perth Wildcats’ Dontae Russo-Nance, strolling into their clash against the Taipans in a clean blue shirt and jorts combo, the star of the show being the Reebok Question Lows, with the Nike KD17s in hand.
Related: Peter Brown reveals his greatest basketball sneakers of all-time
About the Author
Jed Wells is a basketball, fashion and culture writer based out of Sydney, Australia, with a keen interest on the sneaker industry both on and off the court. He is still waiting for his own signature shoe.
