It's make-or-break time in the NBA -- contenders stand up while pretenders fade away. We're applying that same energy to Vol. 6 of our Sneaker King Power Rankings, so either you lace up your best kicks or you'll be forgotten in the Just Missed The Cut section. Now, with the All-Star break giving players plenty of time to set up the shipments from their shoe plugs, the kicks you'll see on the court as the season continues to unfold will be on another level.
The big-name stars in the league started to make their presence felt back in Vol. 5, making it harder to just crack the top 15. But rest assured, if someone's making big sneaker waves on the hardwood, they'll be featured here in Vol. 6 and in the future. It's time to un-deadstock those grails and make a run for the Sneaker King crown. Enough talk, these are the 15 players in the hunt this week.
15. Kevin Durant (Previous rank: NR)
Warriors star Kevin Durant has one of the longest-running signature shoe lines around. He inked a deal with Nike as a rookie in 2007 and then another massive 10-year extension with the company in 2014. Fast-forward a few years and Durant is thriving while hooping in the Nike KD 11 as he tries to lead Golden State to a third consecutive title. We pointed out in our All-Star Sneaker Rankings how Durant won the game MVP in style while rocking the Nike KD 11 "Aunt Pearl." He's kept that momentum going post-break and has made frequent use of the Nike KD 11 "Texas" PE, paying homage to his college hoops days in Austin.
14. Jordan Bell (Previous Rank: NR)
Warriors big man Jordan Bell is one of those players that's been on the cusp of breaking through and landing on this list for quite some time now. What exactly put him over the top you might ask, well, he hit the court rocking some of the most creative and eye-popping custom kicks recently. Bell debuted a pair of custom Nike PG 2.5s -- yeah, the shoe Zion Williamson poked his entire leg through -- inspired by '90s TV show "Rugrats." Bell gets a major boost from the custom kicks, but his highlights this week also include the Nike KD 6 "Aunt Pearl."
13. Dwyane Wade (Previous rank: 3)
Heat guard Dwyane Wade is absolutely thriving during his farewell tour of the NBA. He's a legit hooper at 37 years old who deserves consideration for Sixth Man of the Year. Not only is Father Prime still hitting game-winners, but he's still lacing up some of the more diverse and creative kicks in the league. In Vol. 5, we featured Wade heavily and put you on to the insane sneakers Li Ning is providing him with so he can go out in style. Though he takes a drop in this week's rankings, Wade continues to break out new and impressive colorways of the Li Ning Way of Wade. Keep scrolling to check them out.
12. Luka Doncic (Previous rank: 7)
Mavericks star rookie Luka Doncic seemingly can do no wrong when he steps on the basketball court, and for our purposes a lot of that has to do with his crazy shoe game. Doncic makes frequent appearances in the Sneaker King Power Rankings due to his knack for flashy and custom kicks. His highlights this week include the eye-popping Nike Kobe 7 "Leopard" and the Nike LeBron 12 low, which you can see below.
11. LeBron James (Previous rank: 12)
Lakers superstar LeBron James makes his third straight appearance in the Sneaker King Power Rankings and at his highest mark to date. James' momentum in the sneaker world halted with a groin injury that sidelined him for over a month during the course of the season, but he's on the right track since taking over the top spot in our special edition All-Star Game Sneaker Rankings. The King's sneaker highlights of late include a number of Nike LeBron 16 PEs that have us all hoping for official release dates. James also debuted the Nike LeBron 16 "Buzz Lightyear," receiving approval from "Toy Story" fans across the world.
10. Derrick Jones Jr. (Previous rank: NR)
Heat forward Derrick Jones Jr. is a high-flying athlete with budding potential in the league, but he's already an established name in the NBA sneaker circles. Jones returned to the Heat lineup after missing a few weeks with a knee injury and did so with a bang. In his first game back, he doubled up and broke out two very rare sneakers. Jones started the game off in the Nike LeBron 6 "Christ The King" PE, shoes made just for the LeBron James sponsored school in New York. After ditching the LeBron kicks, Jones kept the theme of sponsored high school shoes going when he broke out the Nike Kobe 6 "Supreme Rice," sneakers made for the Kobe Bryant sponsored school also in the Empire State.
9. Ian Clark (Previous rank: NR)
Pelicans guard Ian Clark makes his first appearance on our Sneaker King Power Rankings after a recent run of on-court kicks that simply could not be overlooked. Clark's recent highlights include the Nike LeBron 3 Zoom -- LeBron's third signature with Nike that released in 2005 -- in a black and gold colorway. He kept the momentum going when he broke out the Nike Kobe 3 in a crispy white colorway when the Pelicans faced off against the Lakers in Staples Center.
8. Paul George (Previous rank: 4)
Thunder star Paul George continues to impress during his career-best season with what he accomplishes on the court. He's also enjoying the success of the Nike PG 3 that launched in January. George often bounces from one silhouette to another within his Nike line, but this week his highlights all feature the Nike PG 3. PG-13 gets an extra boost because the kicks we feature below have not been released to the public. Keep' em coming.
7. Tobias Harris (Previous rank: 8)
76ers forward Tobias Harris is campaigning to be recognized as the owner of the premier Nike Kobe line collection in the NBA. Harris hoops in rare Nike Kobe kicks like few around the league do and always seems to push the limits on what he pulls off next. His recent highlights include the Nike Kobe 7 "Fade to Black," a shoe Nike released during Kobe Bryant's final season to honor the all-time great and his accomplishments. Harris kept it coming when he broke out the Nike Kobe 4 Protro "Draft Day Hornets," a newer release that flashes back to the team that originally drafted Bryant in 1996. Saving the best for last, Harris reached DEEP into his sneaker vault to pull out the Nike Kobe 6 "Blue Camo," a shoe that released all the way back in 2011.
6. Russell Westbrook (Previous rank: 9)
If you sit courtside at a Russell Westbrook game you'll get the experience of a lifetime, likely see a triple-double and check out some of the best signature kicks in the league right now. Just don't touch him, please. The Brodie continues to bless us with new colorways of his signature Jordan Why Not Zer0.2 this season and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Westbrook's recent highlights include a number of Player Exclusive shoes, and it doesn't get any better than the Florida Gator colorway you'll see below.
5. DeMar DeRozan (Previous rank: 11)
Maybe DeMar DeRozan heard his claim to the best Nike Kobe collection in the league is in doubt with Tobias Harris inching closer week by week. Well, DeRozan was not having any of it recently and once again put his insane bevy of kicks on display. His best moments this week came when he pulled out the Nike Kobe 1 Prelude "81 Points" during his first game in Toronto against the Raptors since being traded to the Spurs in the offseason. DeRozan kept the wave going when he rocked the Nike Kobe 3 Prelude "Misery" a few days later against the Nets. The competition is getting tighter but this still reigns true: If you want the Nike Kobe collection crown, you have to go through DeRozan.
4. Kyrie Irving (Previous rank: NR)
Celtics star point guard Kyrie Irving has been on an absolute roll lately with his on-court kicks. Irving is thriving with the Nike Kyrie 5 line and continues to break out new colorways and Player Exclusive shoes on what seems to be a nightly basis. You know his footwear had to be immaculate to go from being unranked to landing in the No. 4 spot in Vol. 6 of the Sneaker King Power Rankings. We're highlighting four pairs from his arsenal this week -- all PEs that haven't released to the public -- that include a Duke basketball exclusive shoe decorated in blue flames and the Nike Kyrie 5 "Neon Blends." It should go without saying but if Irving keeps this momentum going, he's in line to make a run at the No. 1 spot in the near future.
3. Montrezl Harrell (Previous rank: 2)
Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell is like the Spurs when it comes to this sneaker game. He's always bringing elite level consistency, he's a top contender more often than not and he gets very creative when it comes to what brand sneaker he wears just like San Antonio does with its scouting department across the world. Harrell takes a very slight dip here in Vol. 6, but that's obviously at no fault of his own. He's been hooping regularly in the Nike KD 7 lately, breaking out the KD 7 "USA," the KD 7 "N7" and the KD 7 "Christmas Eggnog" all in a week's time. What puts Harrell over the top in these rankings is the custom Jordan 13 kicks that paid tribute to music icon Bob Marley.
2. Isaiah Thomas (Previous rank: NR)
Isaiah Thomas has done nothing but overcome adversity and obstacles throughout his career and his return to the court this season has been a major accomplishment. The former two-time All-Star is back to hooping, and on the plus side he's back to establishing himself as a legit contender for the Sneaker King crown. He's been back on the court for a short time but he's already been putting the rest of the league on notice that he's going to be a problem moving forward. Thomas is a huge fan of the Nike Kobe line -- a major trend among the NBA's top sneaker guys -- and isn't shy about breaking out some rare gems while on the hardwood. Thomas' on-court sneaker highlights include the Nike Kobe 4 Protro "Draft Day Hornets," the Kobe 4 "Black Mamba" and the Kobe 4 "Gradient" in the home colorway. Though his recent run of kicks is extremely impressive, we're smart enough to understand that Thomas' sneaker vault holds many more gems. Keep your eyes peeled is our advice.
1. P.J. Tucker (Previous rank: 1)
Rockets guard P.J. Tucker completes the three-peat, coming in at the top spot for the third consecutive edition of our Sneaker King Power Rankings. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone at this point, but Tucker takes his on-court sneaker selection very seriously and he proves that on a nightly basis. Tucker is the GOAT at this, there's no debate, there isn't a better sneaker connoisseur from a different generation. You're watching the best player to do it when it comes to rocking the rarest and greatest kicks right now. Tucker's highlights this week include the normal eye-popping stuff, like when he broke out the Jordan 4 "North Carolina" PE -- kicks that will run you a down payment on an apartment if you're itching to make questionable decisions. The momentum continued when he rocked the Jordan 5 "Tokyo T23" and the Nike Kobe Protro 1 "DeMar DeRozan" PE in the same game against the Lakers. Honestly, facing off against Tucker in the Sneaker King battle is like asking Muggsy Bogues to defend Shaquille O'Neal in the post. It ain't happening, so it'll have to take a monumental upset moving forward.
Just Missed The Cut
These are the players that are on the brink of making the jump in the Sneaker King Power Rankings: Nets guard D'Angelo Russell, Knicks guard Allonzo Trier, Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma, Celtics swingman Jayson Tatum, Pistons guard Langston Galloway, Hawks forward Taurean Prince and Magic guard Isaiah Briscoe.
