3 Rookie Season Sneakers Ja Morant Needs to Wear

With the second overall pick of 2019 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies drafted a 6'3" point guard who caught the eye of many fans, insiders and scouts during his sophomore campaign at Murray State University.

Due to his meteoric rise in the NBA draft process, Ja Morant is considered to be a dark horse of this talented NBA draft class—one who could potentially surpass Zion Williamson as the best NBA player of the group. Given that Morant already signed with Nike before the NBA Draft commenced in June, we decided to pick some Nike shoes we think would look great on him as he drops insane dimes and lights up the scoreboard in Memphis.

The history: Making its debut during the shortened 1998-99 NBA season, this shoe was the unofficial, signature sneaker worn by future NBA Hall of Famer, Tim Duncan. These kicks caught the eye of the sneaker community as Duncan wore it during the 1998 NBA Playoffs. He also wore them throughout the shortened 1998-1999 season—the same season that San Antonio won their first-ever NBA title. 

Why we love it: Consisting of a brolic silver metallic outer look and a full length cushioning inside of the shoe, the Nike Total Air Foamposite Max developed a reputation as a “must-have” in the sneaker collection game. It’s been roughly eight years since the shoe was re-released and we think it’s time for another. The silver/black meshing with the ocean blue would look insane when paired with an NBA uniform, such as the Memphis Grizzlies sky blue/dark blue colorway. 

The history: The Nike Zoom Huarache is considered to be Kobe Bryant’s first signature shoe with Nike after switching over from adidas. The creator of the shoe got its inspiration from the Nike Air Force Ones while extending the classic Huarache line, including a neoprene inner bootie in his new silhouette. The rest of the shoe was filled with inclusions consisting of a Phylon sole and Nike Zoom cushioning to make it light. Mimicking the high top strap that came with wearing a classic white pair of Air Force Ones, he put the finishing touch on it by plastering the iconic “Swoosh” on the strap of the shoe.

Why we love it: The rich history this shoe carries for Nike basketball as a unanimous all-time favorite for the basketball community. The technology of the shoe makes it light for the hooper to maneuver and to dominate, but the stylish colorways it debuted is also why many still have their original pair in the closet to this day. Morant in a customized player exclusive colorway of this shoe would have the sneaker community up in a frenzy.

The history: The Hyperdunk was the first shoe  Flywire technology and Lunar foam. For those unfamiliar with these two sneaker technological breakthroughs, the innovation allowed Nike to incorporate maximum cushioning while minimizing weight. These kicks were worn by Kobe when he jumped over a moving Aston-Martin which broke the internet. 

But what brought the shoe to legendary status was when the 2008 Team USA Olympic squad worn them en route to capturing gold once again after the disappointing 2004 Olympics, in which they only captured the Bronze medal.

Why we love it: This shoe debuted in a plethora of colorways that made sneaker collectors confused about what shoe to get and what shoe to pass on. It brought attention to the technological side of shoemaking as fans started to become more curious about the Flywire technology. Inspired by suspension cables from a bridge, Nike changed the game by installing this new thread to minimize weight and maximize support for the super active athlete in you. 

Related: 3 Jordan Sneakers We Think Zion Williamson Should Wear