Top 15 Kicks Worn During Week 10 of NBA Season

by Brendon Schunck | Dec 30, 2019 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

We are officially 10 weeks into the NBA season. Christmas Day games have come and gone and the new year is just a couple days away. Custom sneakers ruled this year’s Christmas week games as Nike and Adidas did not have any official Christmas pack release for 2019. The top sneakerheads in the league are having to get more and more creative with their shoes of choice if they don’t want to repeat pairs they’ve already worn on court.

The next wave of Kobe Protros has arrived, this time being the Kobe 5. Lebron James continues to mix old and new; wearing his 17th signature a majority of the time, sprinkled in with a few wears of his older models like the Air Zoom Generation, III’s, VII’s, etc. P.J. Tucker still is a force that cannot be touched when it comes to wearing kicks on court. What $15,000 shoe did P.J. wear on court this past week? What two college player exclusive’s made our list for week 10? Can anyone compete with Pistons guard Langston Galloway when it comes to custom sneakers? Was James Harden trolling the Warriors rocking a particular new colorway of his signature shoe in their latest matchup? Look below to find out where week 10’s top sneakers landed in our countdown.

15. Q4 Sports The Specialist “Elf” Custom – Langston Galloway – Detroit Pistons (done by @andr3wtl)

14. Nike Zoom Freak 1 “Soul Glo” – Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

13. Nike KD 12 “Aunt Pearl” – P.J. Tucker – Houston Rockets

12. Nike KD 11 “Arizona P.E.” – Allonzo Trier – New York Knicks

11. Jordan 11 Custom – Devonte’ Graham – Charlotte Hornets

10. Adidas Harden Vol. 4 P.E. – James Harden – Houston Rockets

9. Q4 Sports The Specialist “Home Alone” Custom – Langston Galloway – Detroit Pistons (done by @andr3wtl)

8. Nike Lebron XVII “More Than An Athlete” – Lebron James – Los Angeles Lakers

7. Nike Kobe 5 “Draft Day” – Buddy Hield – Sacramento Kings

6. Nike Kobe 11 “Oregon P.E.” – Tobias Harris – Philadelphia 76ers

5. Nike Kobe 5 Protro NBA 2K “Chaos” – DeMar DeRozan – San Antonio Spurs

4. Nike Lebron XVII “More Than An Athlete” Alternate P.E. – Lebron James – Los Angeles Lakers

3. Jordan XXXIV “Wrapping Paper” P.E. – Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

2. Nike Kobe 6 “Grinch” – Gary Harris – Denver Nuggets

1. Jordan IV “Wahlburgers” – P.J. Tucker – Houston Rockets

Dec 30, 2019 No Comments

The Memphis Grizzlies Snap OKC’s 4 Game Win Streak Tonight (110-97)

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by Travis Singleton | Dec 27, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder were coming into this game as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Thunder were able to manage a 4 game winning streak and Memphis was one of those teams apart of it. The Memphis Grizzlies came into this game wanting revenge as they blew a 24 point lead to the Thunder last week. This was a weird game as both the Grizzlies and Thunder played a little sloppy on the offensive end. Tonight the Thunder had 4 scorers in double figures but they weren’t able to get anything going in crucial moments in the game. Every time the Thunder made a run to try and get close to the Grizzlies it seemed as though Jackson Jr or Valanciunas hit a tough shot. The Thunder were struggling in the paint defensively tonight as they allowed 66 points. Both Jaren Jackson Jr and Jonas Valanciunas had their inside game working tonight as both combined for 41 points on the night. Jaren Jackson had an impressive night and he’s been showing off some range as he was able to connect on a couple of 3 pointers. Jaren showed that he can score inside and out tonight as he had a mix of Darius Bazley and Mike Muscala guarding him. Jaren Jackson Jr’s still young and he was able to make some plays in the open court that veterans make especially at that size. The other player that was dominating in the paint tonight for the Memphis Grizzlies was Jonas Valanciunas as he was able to battle it out with Steven Adams. It seemed as though Jonas got the best of Steven Adams tonight in this matchup because his team won. Jonas was able to get a lot of second-chance points on the offensive end which helped the Grizzlies keep a lead throughout the game. Ja Morant had a quiet night and for a team like this that usually depends on the ROTY, they held their own. Morant finished with 10 points on the night as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was making it tough on him all night. The length of Shai was able to limit Morant going to the basket and getting open looks at the rim. The Thunder defended Morant as good as you can on the night and made the other’s beat them and the others actually came through. The Grizzlies had 5 players that were in double figures on the night and they had a lot of momentum in crunch time moments. The Grizzlies bench stepped up big in this as the Thunder were caught playing catchup all night instead of heading to their 5th straight win.

The Thunder weren’t able to get off to the start that they needed to get this win. Interior defense was the big problem for the night as the Thunder gave up 66 points to the Grizzlies in the paint. The Grizzlies bigs set the tone in this one as the Thunder were fighting for a chance to get back in the game. The Grizzlies had a 20 point lead in this one and it was a little to late for the comeback this time. Chris Paul was the leading scorer for the Thunder tonight with 23 points and 11 assists. CP3 was able to get open on a lot of pick and pops with Steven Adams. It was clear that Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were able to take advantage of Ja Morant’s bad game. Chris Paul was trying to do everything he can to get the Thunder back in this game but the Grizzlies were able to hit some tough shots. Shai on the other hand was able to affect the game on the defensive and offensive end. Shai finished the game with 21 points and was able to use his crafty layups and his aggressiveness to get to that point total. It’s only Shai’s second year in the NBA but he plays like a 10 year veteran. Tonight Shai made some tough shots over Dillion Brooks who was guarding him and it didn’t matter who was in front of him he wanted to score. Dennis Schröder also showed up tonight as he finished with 20 points on the night. The Thunder three-headed guard monsters were able to get their points in but when the other guys don’t step up it doesn’t turn out good. It seemed as though in the second half the Grizzlies were trying to make others beat them the way they sagged off. The Thunder had a tough loss tonight that put them back to .500 on the season. The Thunder will be looking to bounce back tomorrow night in Charolette as they look for their 16th win on the year. The Thunder will need to defend better tomorrow night as they will need to defend Graham and Rozier.

Dec 27, 2019 No Comments

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Portland Trail Blazers Vs. Utah Jazz

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by Marcus Van Diver | Dec 27, 2019 | Featured, NBA

Part two of Thursday’s post-Christmas TNT doubleheader features two teams that are vying for a higher spot in the West as the 14-17 Portland Trail Blazers take the trip to Salt Lake to take on the 18-12 Utah Jazz inside the Vivint Smart Home Arena at 10:30 p.m., ET/ 9:30 p.m. CT.

These teams, separated by four wins and two places in the Western Standings (Utah in seventh place, Portland in ninth place), are both looking for wins to get their holiday rust out of their systems. Portland is coming off of a loss to the second-to-last place New Orleans Pelicans by a score of 102-94, where Carmelo Anthony finished with 23 points and nine boards. Conversely, Hassan Whiteside struggled against a Zion Williamson-less Pelicans squad that, due to the compiled effort of rookie Jaxson Hayes and new starter Derrick Favors, held him to just 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Portland’s offense that usually found a way to spark up from downtown just couldn’t get the mojo going against the young Pellies, only making 13.8 percent of their field attempts from behind the arc. Their offensive ineptitude could continue tonight against a much more defensively stout Jazz team led by none other than the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, the French Rejection Rudy Gobert. In a 107-104 loss to the Miami Heat, Gobert contributed 18 points and 20 rebounds en route to his 22nd double-double this year.

And per schedule, he fanned five shots while his other frontcourt cohorts in Bogdan Bogdanovic and Joe Ingles combined for 46 points.

The biggest question mark this year has been Quinn Snyder’s lack of confidence-imbuement toward his guard rotation, and pending Mike Conley’s ailing hamstring that’s affected this team in quantities, Donovan Mitchell has tried his very best with averages of 24.8 points per game, 4 assists and 4.6 rebounds per contest.

Utah’s role players will need to step up, and though they have already been maligned in trades surrounding former first-round pick Dante Exum and waivers to Jeff Green, picking up Jordan Clarkson as a result of sending their once-esteemed “future at the guard spot” in Exum to Cleveland could do more good than harm. He’ll have to learn the system a little more, accordingly, but expect Snyder to roll out his new depth piece tonight. In 29 games this year with the Cavs, Clarkson has put up a solid 14.6 points per contest off 44.6 shooting, while dropping a respectable 37.1 percent of his shots from downtown.

Tonight’s battle of bigs between Whiteside and Gobert should be exciting to witness, and then factoring in the nightly impacts of Mitchell Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum equal a pretty enjoyable treat for two teams that get the chance to play on national television during the Holiday break.

Blazers/Jazz tip-off at 10:30 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. CT.

Dec 27, 2019 No Comments

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: San Antonio Spurs Vs. Dallas Mavericks

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by Marcus Van Diver | Dec 27, 2019 | Featured, NBA

Christmas Day has finally passed, gift wrap has been torn open across the world, Christmas dinners have been guzzled down and that five-game slate of holiday hoops has been enjoyed. But for Mavericks fans, the biggest gift under the tree is still lying under the tree’s pines, waiting to be opened.

What’s that gift in that white and blue wrapping you ask? Well, it’s none other than their coveted star atop the Mavs tree named Luka Doncic. He’s back from rehabbing a sprained ankle suffered just 12 days ago on December 14 in a home loss against the Heat. Tonight, they’ll face a familiar foe and in-state adversary in San Antonio in what’s sure to be a tightly-contested battle, for they are hoping to now ascend further in the Western rankings with their biased pick to win this year’s Most Valuable Player award being back on the floor.

Per their slot in the West as of late, the Mavericks are fifth and are 2 1/2 games out of dethroning another in-state rival in the Houston Rockets for that fourth spot in their conference. Houston bemusingly let the Golden State Warriors run rampant on them in the second-half of yesterday’s Christmas day game, which means that a win on their home floor in front of the something-thousand patrons inside the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas will place them in the driver’s seat to secure a promotional, and much-needed spot in the West.

Dallas hasn’t come close to appearing as a liability without Doncic hoisting up and cashing in 30-footers on a nightly occasion, as they’ve managed to uphold the fortress by going 2-2 in their four games with Kristaps Porzingis leading the charge. Before Doncic’s ankle aggravation, the 20-year old was posting up some sickening numbers by averaging 29.3 points per game, 9,6 rebounds and 8.9 assists per contest in just his second stint as an NBA athlete.

As a team, they knocked off the then-streaking Milwaukee Bucks in a game that saw Kristaps Porzingis nearly drop a triple-double with a 26-point, 12-rebound and 6-assist night, and consecutively gave the Sixers their second-straight home loss last week during their Eastern road trip. They then seceded for Christmas break by succumbed to the championship-defending Raptors on the road from an uncharacteristic blowing of a 30-point lead in the second half.

They’re looking to avenge their last loss with a home win over the Spurs, who haven’t quite lived up to the ideals of a stereotypical Gregg Popovich-coached season. Dallas won the first matchup against the Spurs this season via a 117-100 win. Be advised though, it’s only December and it’s only a matter of time until they find their footing, and it’s looking like they’ve done just that in the month of December, winning five of their last nine contests. They sit just three games out of a playoff spot behind the Trail Blazers and are looking to hit a Mavs team hard, as they’re just getting their star in Doncic back into the fray starting tonight.

The second tip-off of the season between the Mavericks and Spurs takes place at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on TNT.

Dec 27, 2019 No Comments

SR – NBA Christmas Day Preview

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by Marcus Van Diver | Dec 25, 2019 | Featured, NBA

First and foremost, we here at Sneaker Reporter wish all of our readers a Merry, Merry Christmas! We wouldn’t be a thing without all of our followers, so we’re thankful that you all take the time to check out our content from week to week.

So now that all of the salutations are out of the way, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of previewing all the NBA Christmas day action that’s to come, starting at Noon/11 a.m CT on ESPN. A five-game slate of pulsating NBA basketball that’s set to mesmerize and amaze all fans of the game starts in, for the first time in the history of the league, a different country other than the US. The 20-7 Boston Celtics aim for their 21st win as they head up north to duel with the defending champion Toronto Raptors, and after that, fans will be gifted (pun intended) a marquee matchup between two Eastern Conference favorites in the Bucks and 76ers.

Soon after those Eastern Conference games are out of the way, the West takes over and the most competitive conference will have three games to display just why that fact still holds true. The 21-win Houston Rockets travel to the bay to take on a much-maligned and “tanking” Warriors team that, had they not lost all of their most integral pieces, would have fared well against James Harden and Russell Westbrook’s Rockets.

And then there is tonight’s heavyweight fight and main event. Round two of the Battle of LA between the Clippers and hosting Lakers is much more salient now since we’ll get the chance to witness what the fully operational and injury-free rosters of both teams look like when they’re going toe-to-toe with one another. Lastly, Christmas 2019 goes out with a bang as the Nuggets take on the Pelicans at home.

Today shall be good, so sit back, eat, drink, cheer and be Merry on this St. Nick’s day.

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Game 1: Boston Celtics (20-7) At Toronto Raptors (21-9) – Noon ET, ESPN

The Game Haus

Game No. 28 for the Boston Celtics takes place in the Wintry North for a division battle with Atlantic rival Toronto, as they’ll be gunning for a divisional step over the Raptors, their second of the season.

As mentioned, this is the first-ever home Christmas game in the history of this Toronto franchise. They’ve played on Christmas day before back in 2001, as a youthful and boastful Vince Carter scored only 15 points in a loss to the Knicks on the road. And yet, as cold as it may be, expect packs of droves to pile into both the Scotiabank Arena and Jurassic Park just outside of the stadium to avenge their 2001 loss with a championship squad that’s getting hot at the right time.

The Raptors are banged up and still without Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell, but don’t remind them of their pitfalls when they’re still playing some great basketball. Yes, the Celtics are a healthier team and they may get Gordon Hayward back in this one from his nerve problems in his foot, but this Toronto team is not to be messed with. They’re third in the NBA in total defensive rating, while the Celtics are fourth.

Also, the matchups between Kyle Lowry and Kemba Walker (who are both playing on Christmas for the first time) should be intriguing, as both guards are averaging north of 20 points per game. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will have a tough task in dealing with the inside-out presence of Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet’s tenacity to score the rock as well.

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Game Two: Milwaukee Bucks (27-4) At Philadelphia 76ers (22-10) – 2:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The second game of the five-game Christmas slate features two Eastern Conference strongholds in the Milwaukee Bucks taking on the hosting Philadelphia 76ers inside the Wells Fargo Center in the City of Brotherly Love at 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT on ABC. This star-studded faceoff between two potential NBA Finals qualifiers possesses the likes of clear MVP favorite Giannis Antetokounmpo and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Joel Embiid, as the two will duke it out in what’s sure to be a Wintertime classic on Christmas day.

Milwaukee is 4-3 against the Sixers dating back to last year, and with this time being the first game between the two teams this season, count this as a preview for what’s to come in May’s Eastern Conference Finals, for Milwaukee and Philly could be on the same floor during that time. The Bucks have won their last 21 of 22 games, with a lone loss coming from a Mavericks team that was without their star player in Luka Doncic. They’ve amazed this season with convincing wins over the three major Western powers in the Paul George and Kawhi Leonard-led Clippers in a 28-point victory, the Lakers and Rockets to open the season and have looked indescribably frightening to go up against all year.

They will duel against a Sixers team that has struggled to score the basketball as they are 12th in total offensive rating with all the talent they have in Embiid, Ben Simmons, Al Horford, Josh Richardson, and Tobias Harris, but have not coalesced either. You could say that Philly is the distant equal to the size of the Bucks, with the average height of each Sixer being around 6’5-6’7. They’re long and hard to score against (just like Milwaukee) as they post the seventh-best defensive rating in the NBA.

Milwaukee is first in that category, so it’ll be worth the watch to see if they can counter the perimeter scoring and near-unstoppable driving ability of Antetokounmpo to grind out their 23rd win of the season.

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Game Three: Houston Rockets (21-9) At Golden State Warriors (7-24) – 5:00 p.m. ET, ABC

USA Today

The last time James Harden caught the Warriors in town, there was no question that he was out for blood against a division foe that had barred him from a second trip to the NBA Finals for two straight years. He dropped 36 on November 6th’s 129-112 rout and absolute thrashing of the Golden State Warriors on Houston’s home floor. This afternoon at 5 p.m., the rematch between a championship-contending roster and the now Christmas Day mainstay (due to them, well y’ know, winning just about everything in a span of three years) that’s roster is much different than what we’ve come to experience now that their full, main core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green aren’t in the picture for the moment.

Durant took his talents elsewhere and dipped to join Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn, while Klay tore his ACL in Game 6 of this past summer’s NBA Finals. Steph broke his hand in the third week of this season, so the Warriors have had no other choice but to trudge out whatever has been left of their team this year.

This is an off-year for Golden State, but it’s just that and nothing more as they’ll likely be right back in the mix of things next year with their already esteemed first-round lottery pick and rejuvenated backcourt of Curry and Thompson. This should be a dominant win for the Rockets, who are third in the NBA in total offensive rating and with a win will grab their 22nd win to get a step closer to catching both the Lakers and Clippers for the top spot in the West.

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Game Four: Los Angeles Clippers (22-10) At Los Angeles Clippers (24-6) – 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Action Network

Game four of the Christmas Day Schedule is the much-awaited and anticipated second fiddle of the Battle of Los Angeles between the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. The two Staples Center roommates, only separated by a hallway, square off since the first game of this year, and in their last game against one another, the Clippers bested LeBron James without Paul George in the active lineup. They for sure hope lightning doesn’t strike twice, for they’ve astonishingly dropped three straight and are in danger of making it four if LeBron James and Anthony Davis don’t right the ship against their “good old buddies” in the Clippers.

This loss won’t change their placing atop the Western Conference, but it will get people talking about who is the best team in not just Los Angeles or California, but in the entire NBA as all debates leading up to tonight will be put to rest. The Clippers are led by last year’s Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who is professed to not have the best relationship with LeBron and his camp, which makes tonight’s battle that much more salacious.

He leads the team in scoring (25.5 ppg.) and rebounding (7.8 rpg.) and with Paul George finally inserted into the equation, it’ll be interesting to see if LeBron and AD can beat their in-building adversaries for the first time this season.

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Game Five: New Orleans Pelicans (8-23) At Denver Nuggets (21-8), 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Denver Stiffs

The final game of the Christmas day special will feature the likes of two teams that are having completely different strokes of luck this season. What was supposed to be the Christmas Day debut of Zion Williamson in Denver is now a tanking opportunity for a Pelicans team that’s just two wins over having the worst record in the NBA. As it goes for the Nuggets, they’ve gotten over their early-season slump that even included a rare and disgraceful loss to the talent-defunct Pelicans who are without their rookie phenom for what might very well be the entire season.

They lost that one via an embarrassing 127-102 blowout, and now that they have seemingly gotten their groove back by winning their last seven games, they’ll look to make it eight against the Pelicans at home in a revenge game. New Orleans hasn’t played their most confident ball recently, only winning two of their last 13 games. It’d be nice if the Pellies could find a way to regain a winning streak (it would be their second of the year by doing so) but they’ll face major difficulty in replicating their success over Portland just nights ago against a team that’s won their last five home games inside the Pepsi Center.

Dec 25, 2019 No Comments

Top 10 Christmas Themed Basketball Sneakers

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by Brendon Schunck | Dec 24, 2019 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

Believe it or not, there was a time just a handful of years ago when basketball sneakers (particularly Nike) were king in the re-sell market. It seemed like release after release would sell out and then immediately fetch a $300 – $500 price tag. Whether it be the Lebron line, KD line, Kobe signatures, etc – Nike basketball was the definition of hype. With all of that hype, Nike (and other brands), made it a point to make special colorways each winter to be worn on Christmas Day and then released to the public soon after. The Swoosh had a good 5-year run of Christmas themed basketball packs, headlined usually by the Lebron, Kobe, KD, and (later) Kyrie line.

For the last few years Nike and other sneaker brands have not released Christmas specific shoes for the holiday. The hype is no longer with signature basketball sneakers like it was 4-5 years ago. Instead, athletes (for the most part) have just been debuting new colorways of their respective signature models on the 25th. Should brands like Nike and Adidas bring back their Christmas releases? We compiled a list of the Top 10 Christmas Themed Basketball sneakers. The only criteria for our list was that the shoe had to be an actual colorway that released at retail (not a custom), be a basketball sneaker (sorry ‘Ugly Sweater’ SB’s), and have an apparent Christmas theme to them (red & green, movie related, mint green, snow, decoration inspired, etc.). Look below to see which athletes have the best Christmas themed shoes.