As we look forward to the upcoming season, we've brought back the SLAM KICKS awards. There are a few new faces, so come on in.
This story and many more sneaker covers are featured in the latest issue of SLAM KICKS 27. Grab your copy now.
First Team
DeMar DeRozan
No one else has the range that DeMar has when it comes to Kobes. This has been confirmed, especially on our page. And if we're being real, DeMar's collection alone is enough to make this list year after year. The 1s, 6s and 9s are all expected, but it was seeing the Kobe 10 Elite HTM and the return of the Kobe AD from his Spurs days that cemented his status, too.
PJ Tucker
In fact when the instruments of the last 10 years are re-released every few months, PJ Tucker is still climbing the ranks of indescribable colors. Nike KD 4 samples and Off-White Kobe customs should paint the range that the man showed night after night.
Devin Booker
Storyteller, tastemaker and history of sneakers. Devin Booker proved to be all of that and more with the debut of his first signed stake. Colorways honored past icons of the Beaverton brand and Booker's memories. The look is built on a thematic-level of care. Documented and televised, the Nike Book 1 not only laid the foundation for the Booker line, it set the bar for madness.
Stephen Curry
When you've spent 11 years with one product like Stephen Curry, you get to go back to the archives as much as you want. Especially if all your models have been updated to float on Flow cushioning. From adorning the Curry 11 to the Anatomix Spawn FloTro and Curry 4 FloTro, the 2023-24 season has seen the world's best shooter combine today's news with images from years past.
Tyrese Maxey
The odds have turned on Tyrese Maxey all season long as the 76ers target the point guard of the future. But it was his various rotations of the New Balance TWO WXY v4 colorways that solidified the first Mad Max First Team selection. From spending dollars and her face to revealing her logo, the Boston brand pulls no punches with the rising star.
THE SECOND GROUP
LeBron James
The LeBron 21 has been fun when it comes to colorways. Shaggy suedes, pearlescent oranges, shiny metal; even the second layer in the silhouette is revealed by wearing gray. The level of experimentation culminated in the return of Deion Sanders' Nike Air DT Max '96, which features a composite sneaker accented with the football coach's signature nail art. The sandbox is always full of opportunity.
Paul George
When one door closes, another opens. In the case of Paul George, at least a dozen did. A stream of Kobe 4s, 8s, PG 1s and 2s all flowed in his second season released from his signature deal with Nike. And if you thought we saw too much of the “Philly” Kobe 4 last year, just wait until the 2024-25 season.
Malik Monk
When you have an arsenal of Kobes like Malik Monk, balance might be the last thing on your mind. But the Kings guard proved to be admirable on the court, switching between his PEs, original colors and the newly updated Protros run without leaning too much in one direction or another.
Jayson Tatum
From “Taco Jay” and flavored lemonades to the wavy denim treatment, Jayson Tatum already has a well-thought-out color palette. Jordan Tatum 2 expanded his original signature efforts and established long-term connections to a wide variety of athletes, from the WNBA to the rising stars of the League.
Trey Lyles
Let's be real, there's no other big man in the L who puts it in like Trey Lyles. The Kobe aficionado is well-documented in our social media and his collection of 4s to 9s is always at its best this season. Join a team of Yeezy and Mambacurial-inspired cultures and get a second-team All-America pick for the Sacramento forward.
MVP: PJ Tucker
We've said it before and we'll say it again, PJ Tucker is not the sneaker king, but he is the MVP of the 2023-24 SLAM KICKS Awards. Kicking it off in the Nike Kobe 3 and Air Jordan 11 PE of Mookie Betts puts him in a league of his own. But it's the stories behind the popularity of his own Nike Air Flight '89 and exclusive colorways of the Nike Book 1 that remain at the heart of PJ's sneaker legacy.
Most Improved Player: Devin Booker
After years of featuring an assortment of crisp, sun-worthy Kobe PEs, Devin Booker has been handed the keys to his signature series. He is not just the face of the silhouette, he has led every part of the process, from its shaping and color blocking to the final release. A special rotation of orange, black, purple and gray has changed to reach every corner of the color palette as the sweet colors arrive in abundance from October to April.
Rookie of the Year: Victor Wembanyama
The Nike Air Zoom GT Run has been running Wemby all season. Block after block, one jaw-dropping display of indescribable basketball art after another, the alien moniker has become more than appropriate. The extraterrestrial doodles he drew served as his trademark until his own GT Hustle colorway arrived at NBA All-Star Weekend. Sporting a galactic sea image, the Swoosh doubles as a depiction of the Wemby logo drawn from a cornfield. If anything, this is just the beginning of Wemby's ascension into the sneaker space.
Photos via Getty Images.
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