Anthony Edwards’ first signature sneaker is at least a month away from hitting stores, but with the NBA season beginning this week, he’s beginning to promote it by doing some serious trash talking.
In a video spot for the Adidas AE 1, the budding superstar gives his opinions on a few other sneaker debuts from NBA players. In order, and shot from inside a duffle bag much like the famous trunk scene in Pulp Fiction, Edwards pulls out LaMelo Ball’s Puma MB.01, Ja Morant’s Nike Ja 1, Luka Doncic’s Jordan Luka 1, and even LeBron James’ Nike Air Zoom Generation. He firmly rejects each one before pulling out his own upcoming model and praising it soundly.
It’s a spicy bit of video, including censorship of every other players’ name and the dog in Anthony that made him such a great (unexpected) villain in the movie Hustle. If this is just the beginning of the promotional cycle for the AE 1, we should be in for a lot of fun from Adidas and co.
Watch on FN
Edwards is one of several players rolling out their first signature sneakers this season. Devin Booker and Scoot Henderson both have their first models arriving soon from Nike and Puma, respectively, while Austin Reaves’ Rigorer AR1 shoe released during the summer. Last season also saw debuts for Jayson Tatum at Jordan Brand, as well as both Ja Morant and Sabrina Ionescu at Nike — signaling a changing of the guard as vets such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry are much closer to the end of their careers than the beginning.
Morant was supposed to be the one “ducking no smoke” until the words were covered for a colorway of his sneaker, but now it’s Edwards taking the mantra to heart as he builds anticipation for his own.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending 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.
