As the Boston Celtics won this year’s NBA title, Jaylen Brown became the first Finals MVP without any sort of shoe deal. His lack of affiliation may soon change, though, as he’s been teasing what could be his own signature sneaker.
Brown, who’s been a sneaker free agent since his Adidas deal expired in 2021, was seen practicing earlier this month in a predominantly black sneaker with crystal-like adornments. On Tuesday, the same sneakers were posted three slides into a carousel of images on Instagram. Since the post went up, Brown has reposted a number of publications speculating about appears to be his own shoe.
It isn’t clear which brand is responsible for the performance basketball sneakers or if Brown has created a new enterprise entirely. He’s routinely worn Nike sneakers on the court, favoring the Air Zoom G.T. Cut 2 this past season, albeit customized with new patterns and to remove Swoosh branding. During the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in February, Brown switched to Kyrie Irving’s Anta Kai 1.
Between the NBA Finals and the start of the Olympics, Brown accused Nike for being responsible for his omission from Team USA. His Celtics teammate Derrick White had been chosen as an injury replacement for Kawhi Leonard, despite Brown being the bigger star and the recently christened MVP.
Brown’s Nike goes back to 2022, when Irving was dropped by the company for sharing a documentary with antisemitic views on social media and dragging his feet before eventually apologizing. In response, Brown tweeted, “Since when does Nike care about ethics?”
At the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, Brown wore a customized pair of the Nike Kobe 5 with the Swoosh partially obscured and overlaid with an “X,” as well as the text, “Just Do Better.”
Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
