Christmas Day Shoes 2016: Top Kicks on Court
We hope you all enjoyed Christmas. As friends, family and everyone in between gathered, the NBA gave us its annual Christmas Day slate of games.
Besides intense on-court action, we also got to see some of the cleanest sneakers of the year. Three signature models were unveiled, an Air Jordan retro was on display, and a "Player Exclusive" model worthy of loot showed up in Los Angeles.
Recap all of the heat below and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
D'Angelo Russell: KD 9 'Player Exclusive'
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Who: Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell
Sneaker Worn: Nike KD 9 "Player Exclusive"
D'Angelo Russell, a burgeoning star within the Los Angeles Lakers organization, also happens to be quite the sneakerhead. Russell's extraordinary Nike choices continued on Christmas with a special "Player Exclusive" pair of the Nike KD 9.
At this point in the season, there's no need to go into all of the details of the shoe. Consumers understand it's a worldly performer. Russell's unique white-and-purple silhouette, with a trim of gold, was used in a Christmas Day victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
A Lakers win and a glossy pair of KD 9s. Russell must have been good this year.
LaMarcus Aldridge: Air Jordan 13 'True Red'
2 of 6Who: San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge
Sneaker Worn: Air Jordan 13 "True Red"
The cleanest Air Jordan retro worn on Christmas Day belonged to San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge. His decision to stunt in a pair of Air Jordan 13 "True Reds" was not only special, but it also clashed with the Spurs' uniforms.
It must have been the shoes because Aldridge destroyed the Chicago Bulls, dropping 33 points, hauling in nine rebounds and shooting a ridiculous 75 percent from the field.
A buttery pair of Air Jordan 13s on Christmas Day was a nice touch by the San Antonio big man. His sneaker choice definitely earned a spot on our list.
LeBron James: Nike LeBron 14
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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James
Sneaker Worn: Nike LeBron 14
LeBron James ditched the Nike LeBron Soldier X on Christmas Day and finally exposed the latest edition of his signature line. Amidst a dramatic win for the Cleveland Cavaliers, King James strapped the first pair of his Nike LeBron 14s.
If the shoe looks familiar, you're right. The silhouette resembles the Nike KD 9 with a dual-zone, composite upper. The biggest change you'll notice between the kicks comes courtesy of the support strap latched onto the mid-foot. A fastening device gives the LeBron 14 enhanced stability.
As we saw against the Warriors, the sole of this shoe features those traditional, multi-colored Zoom Air units we've come to expect from James' sneakers.
This sneaker is going to make waves in 2017, and on Christmas Day, we all were witnesses to the start of something special.
Derrick Rose: Adidas D Rose 'Player Exclusive'
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Who: New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose
Sneaker Worn: Adidas D Rose 7 "Player Exclusive"
Iridescent kicks on Christmas? Come on, Derrick Rose. The New York Knicks guard bucked all of the traditional trends, instead opting for a flashy piece of footwear.
After getting used to them for about a half of hoops, we were struck with a thought: "Is this the best colorway of the D Rose 7 we've seen to date?"
Perhaps there was too much egg nog going around to make a sound decision. In any event, this "Player Exclusive" model—what we're dubbing it so far—was dazzling. Reflective patterns on the Three-Stripe logo and across the heel gave it life.
Kudos to Team Adidas and Rose for taking a creative risk. These kicks were beautiful.
Kyrie Irving: Nike Kyrie 3
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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving
Sneaker Worn: Nike Kyrie 3
When Nike first handed Kyrie Irving his very own signature shoe in December 2014, no one knew what to expect from the line. Three models in, we now have an idea of why Irving could go down as a sneaker pioneer.
His shoes reign supreme in terms of balancing on-court fire and off-the-court fresh. The Kyrie 3, unveiled on Christmas Day, continued this trend.
Advanced cushioning is the name of the game when it comes to this shoe—something that his kicks have gained traction with each year. Irving debuted the Kyrie 3 against the Golden State Warriors, dropping a game-winning shot in the process.
It looks like the legend of "Clutch" Irving will continue to manifest and the Kyrie 3 will be a part of it.
Carmelo Anthony: Jordan Brand Melo M13
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Who: New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony
Sneaker Worn: Jordan Brand Melo M13
Carmelo Anthony's signature line was renewed once again with the Melo M13. As a longtime Jordan Brand ambassador, Melo has always worn unique models year in and year out.
Christmas Day—apparently a big time for revealing kicks—saw Anthony's latest model get the hardwood treatment. The biggest step forward in terms of the Melo line was the introduction of FlightSpeed technology. Used as Jordan Brand's calling card, this system was designed to provide padded traction and comfort that doesn't loosen up or freeze with a player's movements.
It was dope to see Anthony unveil his latest shoe against the Boston Celtics. We're excited to see what the future holds for the Melo M13.
All production information and release dates via Nike News and Adidas News, unless noted otherwise. All stats, box scores and information via Sports-Reference.com, unless noted otherwise.
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