The NBA Playoffs are here, and the stars are coming in with guns (or shoes, rather) blazing.
The NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and you know what that means — big buckets, even bigger plays, and of course, the biggest basketball shoes you’ll see all year round (except maybe for All-Star Weekend).
We’re only in the first round of the Playoffs, but already, stars are coming onto the court wearing their best-looking weapons.
Here are some kicks that got all the sneakerheads talking in this season’s NBA Playoffs!
Jordan Luka 4
New team, new kicks.
This is Luka Dončić’s first NBA Playoffs with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he’s marking it in a big way. Earlier this month, the Jordan Brand released a comedic short film called “The Trial of Luka Dončić.” In the fictional courtroom drama, the former Mavericks superstar is questioned for his “bad” behavior on the court — but the real question of the eight-minute film was this: How could a bad man have such nice basketball shoes?
Enter the Luka 4 in ‘Space Navigator,’ the newest edition of Luka’s signature Jumpman line.
“The Luka 4 is made exactly for my game, giving me a new tool to help me play my best and push my performance,” Luka said about the shoe earlier this year. And with the Lakers in the Playoffs, he’s gonna need to play his best now more than ever.
Curry Brand Series 7
While playing in the Warriors’ series against the Houston Rockets, Stephen Curry debuted his latest signature sneaker: the Curry Brand Series 7.
Though not as brightly colored as previous iterations of his signature sneaker line with Under Armour, fans are already labeling this one of his most “daring” designs yet. Taking inspiration from trendy running shoes, the newest Curry Brand sneaker is designed with a jagged midsole — not simply reflections of his quick feet on the court, but also meant to provide additional support for players who like to move quickly.
And on the night he debuted these basketball shoes, he lit up the arena with 36 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. Talk about walking the talk.
KAWHI IV
Another fresh drop from the 2024-2025 NBA Playoffs is the new KAWHI IV in “Wave.”
This marks Kawhi Leonard’s fourth iteration of his signature KAWHI series with New Balance, and it may just be the freshest one yet. The striking blue color is meant to be a vintage homage to the Clippers City Edition jerseys.
Set to officially launch this month, could Kawhi and his brand-new kicks get the Clippers to the next stage of the Playoffs?
Ja 3
Although the Grizzlies have crashed out of the Playoffs at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Ja still managed to squeeze in some excitement for his fans — the latest Nike Ja 3, the third iteration in his signature line with the Swoosh.
The Ja 3, still set to release in the fall, is a bold departure from previous collections. Morant himself explained, “I needed something that talks before I even lace it up. I wanted my third signature to feel like my game and my personality.”
Designed to highlight Morant’s fearless disposition on the court, Nike designed the Ja 3 with this in mind — with a bold, monogram pattern against a vibrant colorway, these new basketball shoes are meant to inspire fearlessness in players. Each pair also features his famous quote: “A happy Ja is a scary Ja,” a perfect reflection of the rugged look of these kicks.
SHAI 001
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped his first-ever signature sneaker with Converse, the SHAI 001, during this season’s All-Star Weekend, and it was a perfect representation of who he is: one of a kind.
Now in the NBA Playoffs, and fresh from sweeping Memphis, the OKC star dropped the newest addition to his collection: the gray iteration of the SHAI 001. It may be simple in its colorway and its design, but that’s what makes this sneaker very SGA: you can wear it anywhere with outfit, which Shai totally does.
Tatum 3
Ever since the Jordan Brand released the Tatum 3, the third collection in Jayson Tatum’s signature sneaker, the Celtics star has been coming onto the court with unique colorways that appear to be exclusive to the NBA champ, which are making all his fans jealous, wishing they could cop a pair themselves.
Among the most recent colorways was this bright pink monochromatic design that stole the show in their series against the Magic. He’s also recently been spotted in a similar monochromatic green pair.
Could he be teasing new designs for his signature collection of basketball shoes with Jumpan? Time will tell…But for now, he’s got another banner to chase.
Banner images from AFP, Jumpman on Instagram, and Nike.