What's the best way to stand out in a sneaker scene that's buzzing on a nightly basis? Colorways, and a bunch of them. The theme of this edition of our Sneaker King Power Rankings is colorways. Your favorite NBA sneakerheads have been doing a fantastic job showing off new color schemes and cashing in on unique player exclusive kicks recently. But you don't have to believe the hype, you can see for yourself right below.
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10. Jamal Murray
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray finally got his huge shipment from New Balance hoops in the mail because we've seen nothing but wild colorways of the New Balance Two WXY over the past week. Better believe that Murray, who's in his first season as a New Balance athlete, will be showing off many more flavors of the Two WXY this season.
9. Domantas Sabonis
If you didn't know that Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis was a legit sneakerhead, now you do. Sabonis has been dogging dudes on the court this season in style. He mainly leans on the Nike Kobe line, and recently he's been showing off a crazy run of Kobe 6 player exclusive kicks.
8. Jerami Grant
Pistons forward Jerami Grant has opened a lot of eyes this season. He's having a breakout season in Detroit while averaging over 23 points per game. Grant's raised his level of play on the court all while reminding us on a nightly basis that his sneaker game is not one to sleep on. Always faithful to Jordan Brand, Grant makes the cut with the Jordan 3 'Animal Instinct' 2.0 and the Jordan 9 'University Gold.'
7. Devin Booker
The way the Suns are playing this season, Devin Booker might finally get to showcase his game AND sneaker collection during the playoff stage. Booker and the Suns are hooping at a high level and the former Kentucky Wildcat is getting to show off his very exclusive run of Nike Kobe 6 sneakers. Booker has debuted a couple of Suns colorways of the Kobe 6 while never forgetting to write 'Be Legendary' on his kicks, a message the late Kobe Bryant delivered to Booker back in 2016.
6. Kelly Oubre Jr.
We aren't breaking news when we say Kelly Oubre Jr. has some swag to him. He's one of those dudes who can lace any pair of kicks up and they automatically seem cooler. He does just that with the Converse All-Star BB kicks he rocks on the court. The colorways are sick, and Oubre was a perfect choice to join the Converse roster of athletes to get these kicks to pop.
5. Stephen Curry
Whenever a brand rolls out a new sneaker model for one of their athletes, it usually goes heavy with calmer more generic colorways in the beginning. It isn't until the new sneaker has started to make the rounds that the crazy colorways come out. That's exactly what you're seeing with Under Armour and the Curry 8. This week, Stephen Curry makes the cut because the different flavors he's been showing off are nothing short of exquisite.
4. Ja Morant
We demand a tour of Ja Morant's sneaker room because there's no way a second-year player should have this much heat locked up somewhere. When Morant returned from a pretty nasty ankle injury, he promised he was going to shift to more high-top kicks and he's kept his word so far. He's been lacing up kicks to better protect his ankle from the Nike Kobe 1 'Prelude' to the Nike Kobe 9 'Fade to Black.'
3. Montrezl Harrell
There isn't a player in the NBA with a swagger quite as unique as Montrezl Harrell's, and that extends to the kicks he wears on the court. If you're ever feeling nostalgic, like you want to know what if felt like to watch a big man run up and down the court in the 1990s, just zone in on Harrell and take a glimpse down at his sneakers. You can catch him wearing the Reebok Shaqnosis, Shaquille O'Neal's signature sneaker when he took the NBA by storm with the Magic, or the Reebok Kamikaze, the shoe Shawn Kemp made famous with his high-flying dunks. And, as a Reebok guy, Harrell always pays homage to the legend Allen Iverson by breaking out different models from his signature line. The guy is a walking sneaker museum.
2. DeMar DeRozan
We've said this before and we'll say it again: DeMar DeRozan is a member of the ultra-exclusive club of NBA players that almost serve as ambassadors to the Nike Kobe line. He has every pair that releases, he has player-exclusive pairs you'll never be able to get your hands on, it's next level stuff. Over the past few weeks, DeRozan has been showing off just how exclusive some of his kicks are. Take a good look below, because you won't ever catch these on the shelf at your local Foot Locker.
1. P.J. Tucker
This was a light week for P.J. Tucker. All he did was rock a vintage Nike Kobe 2 PE that hasn't been seen in a decade. Then he laced up a Nike Kobe 6 inspired by a Nike Yeezy Sample colorway. He gave the Jordan 10 'Ice Blue' a nice run, it's not like the shoe is more than 15 years old or anything, no big deal. He also laced up a Jordan 9 that was exclusively limited to participants in the 2020 Jordan Brand Classic. We hope this serves as a reminder that if Tucker wants a shoe, he'll figure out a way to get it. Real Sneaker King stuff.