Bleacher Report's 2014-15 Sneaker MVPs
With the NBA playoffs in full swing, we decided it would be a great time to hand out some MVP awards honoring basketball's biggest sneakerheads.
Unlike how the NBA does things, our way of dishing out faux gold trophies is a bit different. We've chosen 20 athletes to cherish based on the sneakers they wore throughout the season and paid homage to those choices.
A combination of personalized shoes, player exclusives, vintage ones and straight-up savage kicks were used to determine who made this coveted list.
So without wasting any more time, let's check out Bleacher Report's 2014-15 NBA sneaker MVPs.
Nate Robinson
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Nate Robinson may have played only 42 games this season, but that didn't stop him from breaking out a handful of sneaker classics.
Over his career, Robinson has been a big supporter of the Air Jordan movement. His collection is crazy deep, and he's shown it off game in and game out.
During the 2014-15 campaign, Nasty Nate continued to promote the Jumpman moniker. He wore the coveted Air Jordan XI "Columbia" edition as well as the Air Jordan VII "Miro"—shown in the picture above.
Limited playing time or not, Nate Robinson is still one of our legendary sneaker MVPs.
Derrick Rose
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Adidas' golden child endured another challenging season because of injuries only to emerge healthy during the NBA playoffs.
Derrick Rose has become a player everyone roots for. Besides being disgustingly gifted at handling a basketball and scoring buckets, the horrendous, red-eyed injury bug has chewed him apart.
Chopping through his troubles with a machete of goodwill, Rose sported his latest Adidas signature sneaker—the D Rose 5 Boost—this season.
The D Rose 5 is another great shoe in a long line of basketball-ready performance kicks from Adidas. Rose was able to sport various colorways of the model, all loaded with that "walking on a cloud" Boost technology.
Rose's shoes not only look clean, but they happen to be maddeningly luxurious. And those two qualities are what put him on this list.
Nick Young
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Very few guys in sports have a sneaker collection like Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young. Young has spent most of his NBA career rocking everything from ridiculously saturated Nike colorways to rare Air Jordan retros.
Young has continuously worn layers of heat. Even during the Lakers' disastrous 2014-15 season, one of the bright spots was checking out his footwear choices.
Juan Martinez of Kicks On Fire did a great job of detailing all of the different Nike and Jordan kicks Young wore this past season. Perusing though the article, you'll see why he's considered to be one of the biggest sneakerheads in the game today.
His collection straight-up glows with galaxy-bending hues and cuts.
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Stephen Curry
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Under Armour's official introduction into the world of sneakers came by way of Stephen Curry.
The Golden State Warriors superstar and NBA MVP went to work in the Curry One silhouette, displaying a variety of alternate colorways. His gripping performance not only led the Warriors to an NBA-best record of 67-15, but it also plastered Under Armour's flare for design onto the map.
All of the work Curry's put in this season wearing these kicks has been significant. Assuming he can keep his team afloat and win an NBA title, the Curry One will become a legendary sneaker.
For helping set a trend this season with a brand-new pair of kicks, Curry's name is a welcomed addition here in the land of kicks.
Kyrie Irving
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One of the best original sneakers to come out this past season was the Kyrie 1. The collaboration between Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving and Nike has to be deemed a success.
Besides initial colorways like the "Dream" selling out quickly, Irving also broke out some of the most obscene player exclusive versions we've ever seen. Just look at the recent playoff edition pictured at the top of this slide.
He gets points for that array as well as the influence he's had over other NBA sneaker lords. Around the league, everyone from P.J. Tucker to DeMarcus Cousins wore a variant of the Kyrie 1.
Because of those three elements, it's difficult not to consider Irving a major player in the world of kicks.
John Wall
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John Wall's "face of the franchise" status in Washington, D.C., has been satisfying for a fanbase that deserves a contender.
After fleeing from Reebok and running into the hills, the former Kentucky point guard landed with Adidas. He signed a deal to retain his signature shoe line and wiped his memory clean of all things Reebok.
Fast-forward to the 2014-15 NBA season, and we've seen a promising line of kicks to come from Wall and Adidas.
When the J Wall 1 came to light, the 24-year-old preceded to rock a handful of different models. Standouts like the J Wall 1 "Cherry Blossom" did a marvelous job of taking streetwear aesthetics and meshing that into a basketball shoe.
Like Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving or even Kevin Durant, wearing your own shoes is still the coolest thing you can do. Excluding Wall from this list would be a crime punishable by Roger Goodell's iron fist. And we can't be having any of that around here.
Terrence Ross
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The Toronto Raptors are a team filled with youthful energy, talent and a bunch of really intense sneakerheads. Terrence Ross is one of the components that makes that sneaker goodness flow.
The scoring guard has pieced together a really strong resume when it comes to his sneaker choices. But what gives Ross a real MVP vibe to his shoe game is the fact he is a big Jordan guy.
Raptors fans can attest to the fact that Ross broke out a crazy array of Air Jordans over the season. One of his cleanest decisions was going with the Air Jordan IV "Toro Bravo."
Ross rocked the iconic mold on the hardwood, giving sneaker addicts a serious case of anxiety. Considering a lot of retros aren't exactly the best shoes to play ball in, this choice was even bolder.
But that's Terrence Ross. He wears what he likes and does it often. Plus, his rotation of Jordan and Nike products remain thick as thieves. Because of that, few in the game of basketball today are on Ross' level.
Kawhi Leonard
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Retro Jordan models are tight. No one is denying that. But today's current line of Air Jordan models are some of the very best performing basketball shoes on the planet.
San Antonio Spurs prodigy Kawhi Leonard would probably agree with us. Not only is he a representative of Jordan Brand, but because of that, he also gets to rock those kicks.
Besides his infatuation with the Air Jordan XX9, Leonard also wore a bunch of sweet player exclusive models during the season—Sole Collector's Brandon Richard even spotted him in a customized version of the Air Jordan VI.
Player exclusive joints on top of the flawless XX9 cut definitely helped get his sneaker weight up over the season.
Damian Lillard
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The final Adidas signature athlete to be honored for his sneaker selection is Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Lillard was given the chance to sport his own shoe—the D Lillard 1—and instead of simply leaning on a single colorway, the talented guard went all out.
Lacing up a few Adidas mi editions—customizable versions of his sneakers—Lillard made his shoes look ultra-good. It's polished designs like the one Lillard is sporting in the image above that gives him clout within the sneaker community.
His footwear choices have already made him an MVP. And one thing's for sure: It's going to be entertaining watching Lillard's stylistic metamorphosis based on what we've seen thus far.
James Johnson
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Bleacher Report's very own Lance Fresh deemed Toronto Raptors forward James Johnson one of his top five sneakerheads in the NBA.
Thanks to Fresh's seal of approval, you know that Johnson's shoe game is serious.
Considered to be another one of those finicky Raptors players who loves his kicks, Johnson made a habit of showing off heat. His love for Jordan and Nike shines through on the floor. Whether he's wearing a Nike Foamposite model or relaxing in the timeless Air Jordan 12 "Taxi," Johnson rarely disappoints.
A lot of players tend to show love to that Air Jordan line, but most of them don't continuously bring the sneaker boom like James Johnson does.
J.R. Smith
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Splitting his time between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers gave J.R. Smith the chance to exhibit a lot of different sneakers this season.
He's a Nike guy at heart, so his choices stayed on that side of the fence. Smith has worn everything in the Nike catalog from LeBron 12s to Kyrie 1s and KD 7s.
What's cool about J.R.'s choices is that even when he decides to wear more mainstream models like we named earlier, he uses unique colorways to express himself. Nothing is ever cut-and-dried with Smith, and that's what we like about him.
From a sneaker perspective, he's still one of the very best around.
Rudy Gay
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Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay has been one of the top guys in the NBA's ongoing sneaker wars for years now.
His choices on the court have switched between modern-day classics and vintage pieces. Surprisingly, Gay didn't wear a ton of dazzling kicks this season. He mainly stuck to the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse, per Nice Kicks.
Despite playing the bulk of his minutes in a Hyperfuse shell, Gay still managed to break out some fire. The peak of those flames was Just Don Air Jordan II—a customized, highly sought-after sneaker that might go down as one of the nicest shoes released in the last five years.
Seeing Gay in the Just Don II's gives us hope that he will be back sporting more sneaker perfection next season.
LeBron James
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The man with the best player exclusive models this season was none other than LeBron James.
People tend to throw shade at the LeBron 12—James' latest signature offering—for design reasons. Even with a "clunky" look, the LeBron 12 is still a great sneaker.
Speaking in a purely leisure capacity, the shoe is a dream to wear. It fits well, offers a lot of support and surprisingly is very lightweight.
LeBron took flight in his signature 12s when he rejoined the Cleveland Cavaliers. He wore countless exclusive versions of these shoes on game nights.
On top of wearing some of the most sought-after shoes in the NBA, James also inspired a lot of his peers. Guys like J.R. Smith and Marcus Morris all dipped into the LeBron 12 vault, putting their own spin on the sneakers.
Influencing the masses is what LeBron James does. Whether that's with his leadership, outstanding play or sneakers, he always is on the cutting edge.
Jamal Crawford
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There's something to be said about Jamal Crawford. We've touched on it before, but Crawford is a folk hero of sorts in basketball terms.
He's one of the most underrated scoring guards in the game who has built a legacy traveling around the country playing for various clubs. While doing that, Crawford has also worn some of the most out-of-the-box sneakers around. Remember when he wore Reebok's famous S. Carter model?
Plenty of names on this list are considered to be Nike, Jordan or Adidas guys. Crawford isn't any of those. Brandblack—one of the top emerging apparel companies around—currently represents him.
Brandblack's J. Crossover II has been Crawford's choice of sneaker for the 2014-15 NBA season. It's come in a few different colorways that all look great.
Crawford's decision to go against the grain and ride out with a unique shoe qualifies him as an organic sneaker MVP.
Robin Lopez
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Portland Trail Blazers big man Robin Lopez isn't your typical NBA sneakerhead. He doesn't have his own signature shoe, and most of the time, you won't see him wearing anything vintage.
Instead, Lopez has created his own sneaker legacy by doodling on his Adidas kicks. During the 2013-14 NBA playoffs, Nick Schwartz of For the Win brought attention to Lopez's artistic ways.
That carried over for the rest of this past season, as Lopez wore a bunch of homemade designs. He even lent his talents to teammate Damian Lillard, creating a custom pair of D Lillard 1s for the point guard to wear, per Lopez's official Twitter account.
Who knows? Maybe after his playing career wraps up, Lopez can start designing shoes for a living.
DeMar DeRozan
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We mentioned earlier that the Toronto Raptors were one of the top sneaker teams in the NBA this past season because of their stylish choices. DeMar DeRozan is simply another member of that club.
Like his teammates, DeRozan's selections mainly stay in that Nike world. This season, he wore a lot of Kobe Bryant's kicks. In fact, DeRozan did something really special involving those shoes.
Earlier this year, he allowed fans to submit their favorite designs of the NIKEiD—custom—Kobe 9 EM sneaker, per Brett Pollakoff of Pro Basketball Talk.
After combing through a ton of entries, DeRozan settled on a pair to wear in an actual game.
While NBA players do their best to wear heat on a nightly basis, DeRozan decided to switch things up and get fans involved with his decision-making process.
P.J. Tucker
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The No. 1 sneakerhead in the NBA, according to Bleacher Report's resident style guru Lance Fresh, was Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker.
Tucker is a wizard of kicks, and he proved it time after time. Whether he was lacing up a pair of Kobe Elite Xs or Kyrie 1s, he really kept things moving.
It's tough to shuffle newer kicks with classics and still pull it off. Tucker has no qualms dealing with it.
Trust me: Next time you get to see the Suns play basketball, make sure you pay attention to what shoes he's sporting. You won't be disappointed.
Chris Paul
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CP3 is strictly a Jordan guy, and his selection of shoes usually reflects that.
The latest offering Jordan Brand supplied Paul with this past season was the CP3.VIII. That shoe is easily one of the top performance models around despite not being as flashy as, say, the LeBron 12.
Serving as the floor general of the Los Angeles Clippers, Paul displayed a multitude of versions while slashing to the bucket and throwing lobs to his teammates.
It's disappointing that more people don't talk about Paul's sneaker game. His on-court choices are always tight, and off the court, let's just say he's one of the biggest Jordan enthusiasts around.
Marcus Morris
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P.J. Tucker may be in his own world, but his teammate Marcus Morris is no slouch, either.
Morris did a fantastic job of breaking out a variety of dope shoes from the Nike arsenal. One of my favorite choices that he made was the LeBron 12 NIKEiD model you see above.
That speckled purple midsole covering a clean black toe box made for an eye-catching combination. It shed new light on the LeBron 12 model and even gave the King himself a run for the nicest LeBron 12 worn this year.
Shout-out to Morris and the rest of the Phoenix Suns. The Toronto Raptors may have the top spot on lock when it comes to sneakers, but the Suns aren't too far behind.
Amir Johnson
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You knew we had to end this slideshow with another member of the sneaker-studded Toronto Raptors crew.
Power forward Amir Johnson doesn't get nearly the recognition that his peers do, but during the 2014-15 NBA season, he wore a bucketload of heat.
By now, you know the Raptors stuck with the Nike and Jordan Brand monarchy for their sneaker needs. Johnson was no different. According to Kenneth D. of SneakerWatch.com, Johnson fancies the Air Jordan XX9 and XI, among others.
Like most of the names on this list, Amir Johnson is a genuine NBA sneaker MVP. The selection of shoes he displayed made a serious imprint in the world of sports fashion.
All Nike product information via News.Nike.com unless noted otherwise. All Adidas information via News.Adidas.com unless noted otherwise.
Unless noted otherwise, all game scores, stats and information courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
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