The Kicks You Wear, Vol. 291 — Ain't no Joke 🏀
Nikola Jokic doesn't have a signature shoe yet. But does he really need one?
Goooood morning, family. Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear. Thank you so much for rocking with me today. I appreciate your time.
It’s Father’s Day weekend and Juneteenth weekend! What a time. I know the grills about to be bussin this weekend. Cookout szn is upon us, folks. Enjoy yourselves.
Let’s rock. We’re talking lots of basketball today.
Why Nikola Jokic should (and shouldn't!) have a signature shoe
Nikola Jokic is now officially in the pantheon of basketball’s most elite names now that he’s won an NBA championship with the Nuggets.
He’s a two-time NBA MVP, an NBA champion and a Finals MVP.
Not to mention all of the All-Star appearances he’s had and All-NBA teams he’s made. Plainly speaking, he's the best basketball player in the world.
There is one thing Jokic is missing from his resume, though. It’s a signature sneaker.
Between the lines: Jokic hasn't really had a massive presence in the sneaker world.
We know he's a Nike athlete, but we don’t know Jokic’s deal specifically looks like. Considering that he has his own logo and a player-exclusive model of the GT Run, we should assume that he’s on a cash deal.
That typically includes somewhere around $3 million annually for the best non-signature players, a custom logo and premier marketing opportunities.
Jokic is so obviously better than that, though. He’s very clearly crossed that threshold as one of the best athletes in sports. There's an easy case to make for him to have a signature model.
Let's start here: Jokic is the only NBA MVP in the last 16 years to not have a signature sneaker line. The last MVP without one was Dirk Nowitzki in 2007. History, alone, says Jokic is more than worthy here.
What’s more, he’s got a pretty easy story to sell. Nike gave it to us immediately after the NBA Finals with the brand’s “No Joke” marketing campaign outlining exactly how marketable this dude is.
Take a look:
Jokic’s story is awesome. It’s the underdog story people love, man. He’s a 2nd round pick in the NBA who rose to the mountaintop. Who doesn’t love that? No, he's not American. But America loves a good underdog story. It's a tried and true marketing tale.
Sure, he’s a big man. And big men don't sell sneakers unless you're Shaq. But he plays a guard’s game. He’s not jumping out of the gym. He’s skilled and technical. The things he does certainly aren’t attainable for regular people, but also things that probably feel like they are. He plays like the old man at the rec. That matters. It’s why folks always call Steph Curry relatable even when he isn’t.
It’s pretty easy to figure out how to put all of that together and sell sneakers from it. It could definitely happen.
The other side: It probably won't, though. The question then becomes why hasn’t Nike capitalized on this? The brand certainly isn’t one to pass up on a golden opportunity.
And, to that, I have a few thoughts:
Are we sure Jokic is actually interested in all of that? With a signature sneaker comes the spotlight. It’s commercials, it’s appearances. All of that. Things Jokic avoids.
We’re talking about a guy who wanted to immediately jet back to Serbia with his horses after winning a championship. His first thoughts were “Job is done. We can go home now.”
It’s apparent that he has very little interest in this stuff. He’s told us as much over and over again. Does he like basketball? Absolutely. But it’s quite literally a job to him. And he doesn’t seem to care for the extra stuff that comes with it. That’s what a signature shoe would be — extra stuff.
It's not impossible: Nike got Tim Duncan to rock a signature model once upon a time. He was Jokic before Jokic when it comes to his apathy for the spotlight.
So, could a Joker 1 model happen? Sure. But will it? Maybe not! And, honestly, we don’t even need it to. There are so many other signature sneakers out there that people can choose from — many of which aren't that good, anyway.
Adding extra shelf space for the two-time MVP would make a ton of sense. We just don't really need to do it. And Jokic seems to like it that way.
LaMelo Ball’s NFT sneaker is…kinda weird
LaMelo Ball debuted his latest signature model, the MB.03, while on a world tour with Puma. But the sneaker game with a pretty big plot twist: The only way you can buy this specific debut colorway is by also buying a coinciding NFT.
How it works: The NFT is your ticket to buying the actual sneaker, according to ESPN’s Nick DePaula.
The sneaker launches first as a collaboration with NFT company Gutter Cat Gang on OpenSea on June 29. It’ll run you $175.
For those that do purchase the NFT, you’ll be able to redeem it for an actual pair of sneakers in July when they finally release.
I’m sorry, but the only thing I could think here was that this felt like a whole bunch of extra steps I’d be taking just to buy a pair of sneakers. Because, really, what else is this?
I’m not sure about this. It just doesn’t make a ton of sense right now considering how deeply unpopular NFTs have become. It’s a special colorway, sure, but that’s the only utility. For a $175 shoe, I feel like I need a bit more if I’m taking that extra step.
I especially wonder how this will go over with parents of kids who are trying to cop these things. That’s a huge chunk of LaMelo’s fanbase.
We’ll see how this works moving forward. But my confidence in it is low.
The funniest shoe in sneaker history sold for $1.4 million
We’ve got yet another classic Michael Jordan sneaker going up for auction as sports memorabilia. The “Flu Game” Air Jordan 12 sold for $1.4 million on Goldin, according to ESPN.
This is so dumb: But also deliciously hilarious. Y’all know the story. MJ wore these 12s in the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz for Game 5. He ended up being sick and needing an IV for the game, but somehow it wound up being one of the best games of Jordan’s career. That’s why we call these 12s the “Flu Game” 12s.
HOWEVER. In The Last Dance documentary, it was actually explained that this wasn’t the flu. It was just food poisoning. From a pizza that MJ and his folks are claiming was tampered with by some pizza delivery dudes.
Again, hilarious.
And, yet, these shoes still sold for $1.4 million despite having a historically inaccurate nickname. Man. Rich folks will buy anything.
The SpiderVerse Js you’ll never get
For all you MCU and Spiderman nerds out there like myself, you remember seeing those purple Jordan 1s on Earth-42 Miles Morales and thinking “YOOOOO WHEN ARE THOSE DROPPING?”
Well, drop those thoughts. We’re never getting them. Most of us won’t, anyway. There are reportedly only 100 pairs dropping, according to Sole Savy. It’s an F&F pair.
Absolutely love having my hopes and dreams killed. Splendid. It’s cool. I’m tired of Jordan 1s, anyway.
#TheKicksWeWear
Y’ALL KNOW THE VIBES LETS GOOOOOO
First, the homie Candice came through with these simple but sweet Dunks. Love to see it.
Then the homie Young Choi popped out on the golf course with these gorgeous 12s.
Then my dog Rick Dubb came through with these protection pack joints in orange. SHEESH.
Then the homie Adam came through repping the Nuggs with these lovely Questions. We love to see it.
My guy Plain Pat popped out with these Hardens and this sweet WNBA hat. I NEED that hat, my G.
And then the homie Tej took us game with the Two18 AJ2s. WHILE GIVING A LECTURE. What. A. Flex.
SMOKED THAT 💰💰💰💰💰💰💰
Thank you so much for rocking with me today. I appreciate y’all. Have a fantastic Father’s Day/Juneteenth weekend.
Let’s chat again on Monday. Til next time, folks. Peace and love. Be easy, be safe, be kind. And we out.
-Sykes 💯
Food poisoning is quite rare, and it's unlikely that MJ had it. You've probably never had it. I've never had it. He most likely had norovirus or the stomach flu, which makes the "flu game" moniker appropriate, IMO.
Let's GO!!!!!