The Top 50 NBA Player Exclusive Sneakers of All-Time

For true players only.

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Image via Complex Original
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Getting your own sneaker: dream. Getting your own colorways that no one

else can have: unfair. For today's NBA elite, player exclusives are a

calling card for being the man on a team and a brand. From high-profile

retros to the latest performance kicks, time has proven that any and

every shoe is in bounds for the PE treatment. We take a look a back at

some of the greatest exclusives in basketball history. From the Iceman

to King James, we narrow it down to the 50 best.

50. Air Jordan V Retro

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49. Nike Zoom Hyperfuse

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Rajon Rondo's performance in the 2010 NBA Playoffs propelled the then-unknown Nike Zoom Hyperfuse to sneaker glory. While Deron Williams and Brandon Roy also debuted Hyperfuse PEs that postseason, it will be Rondo's green makeup that goes down in history.

48. Converse Pro Leather

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Years before Magic and Larry's game of 1 on 1, Dr. J was Converse basketball. He helped make the Pro Leather famous with a higher-than-retail version. Six years later, a different free-throw-line dunker would make them famous again.

47. Air Jordan XIV Retro

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46. New Balance 593

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Big Game James proved worthy of his own signature model — from New Balance, no less — not long after getting his own player exclusives. Maybe the world wasn't ready for purple high tops in '84.

45. Nike Zoom Ultraflight

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GP are ya wit me? The Glove's post-signature days saw him sporting some of the best from Nike's famed Alpha Project. This Ultraflight PE stands out as one of the best color-ups and also one of the best designs from an overlooked period in sneaker history.

44. Nike Flightposite

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43. Nike Air Max LeBron VII

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42. Air Jordan XIII Retro

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Over the years we've got to see what a Barkley model looks like in a Bulls colorway, but rarely an Air Jordan sporting Suns colors. Once Q-Rich moved to Phoenix, we got to see exactly that with the JB swingman rocking a host of retros in purple and orange.

41. Air Jordan V Retro

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Sugar Ray's PE collection is deep like his jumper. Home and away Air Jordan V PEs stand out making the most of 3M tongues and Supersonic colors.

40. Nike Zoom Hyperflight

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Jason Williams' days in Sacramento will be remembered for some of the flashiest point guard play ever. While he never rocked the Nike Flight Disrupter made for him, he did become the unofficial poster boy for the Hyperflight. J-Will and the league's premier guards debuted this patent silo in the playoffs with Williams seeing white, black, and purple PEs. The man and the shoe will forever be linked by hoop fans and sneakerheads.

39. adidas TMAC II

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Before St. Vincent/St. Marys became a LeBron school they were an adidas team. This connection gave adidas the first move in the heated positioning for the young king's feet. LeBron would get his own pair of patent green and gold T-Mac 2s his senior year. How big of a deal was this? Even T-Mac wasn't getting PEs.

38. Nike Air Jordan IX

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Penny took the league by storm, going from All-Rookie to All-NBA First Team in just one season. He emerged as the go-to guard and sneaker guy in Mike's absence, winding up with both home and away PE Air Jordan 9s. Orlando colors were used with his #1 in places of MJ's digits.

37. Nike Air Up

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The Silent Assassin served as a guinea pig for Nike, testing out their premier inline models on court before getting his own sig. All-Star play and high level exposure got Pip a string of his own PEs with the Air Up 94 being the most famous.

36. Nike Air Jordan X

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35. Air Jordan V Retro

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34. Nike Air Flight Huarache Retro

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Before Kobe would rock the latest and greatest tech from Nike he would maneuver in the classics. His PE Flight Huaraches fused Fab 5 nostalgia with Laker pride. While the model has seen retros, this promo colorway never hit the market.

33. Air Jordan XIII Retro

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The Air Jordan XIII has a special place in Ray Allen's career. They were the common sneaker between him and his senior Shuttlesworth in the movie He Got Game and were also the shoe he wore when breaking Reggie Miller's all-time three-point record.

32. Nike Hyperdunk/Kobe IV Hybrid

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When Nike unveiled the Kobe IV, many fans held their breath at thought of the league's best risking his ankles in a low top. To make the transition from Hyperdunk to signature, Nike created a hybrid of both using the Hyperdunk upper with Kobe IV midsole.

31. Roos

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ROOS, trendsetters? Perhaps, as they laced The Glide with a pair of all red PEs for the 1987 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Hey go Clyde, it's your time.

30. Nike Flightposite

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After putting the Foamposite on the map it seemed likely Penny would do the same for the Flightposite franchise. While that wouldn't happen and Anfernee would go on to Phoenix to form Backcourt 2000, a pair of PE samples were made with Orlando in mind.

29. Nike Blazer

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Before the Blazer was a skateboarding shoe worn by Chris Brown it was a court classic. The ancestor of the likes of the Dunk, Air Jordan 1, and Air Force 1, the sneaker was endorsed by the league's greats. George Gervin was most synonymous with the sneaker as seen on this PE and a tribute makeup that dropped in 2008.

28. Nike Air Max Tempo

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Getting PEs made of an odd retro points to a unique love of a sneaker. D-Fish spent much of his first run in LA rocking classic Uptempos from the mid '90s. Rather than rock inline makeups, he sported home, away, and alternate player exclusives.

27. Air Jordan XIII Retro

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26. Air Jordan XIII Low

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In Jordan's final Championship run he busted out a pair of never released XIII Lows. Legend always had it that he switched from mids to lows at half, but these caught everyone off guard as this Chi-town makeup would be a Black Cat exclusive.

25. Reebok Answer IV

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It was Allen Iverson versus the world in the 2001 NBA Finals. The people's champ rocked a special PE version of the popular Answer IV sneaker. Unfortunately for the people, this black-on-white playoff makeup would not release with the rest. Years later, they would quietly drop as a team bank retro.

24. Air Jordan VIII Retro

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Yessir. The bulky Jordan VIII might not best suit the wiry frame and active style of play Rip is known for, but it did make for a nice look in Motor City colors. From the playful lining to the nod to Rip's foundation on the ankle, these PEs are for the kids.

23. Air Jordan VIII Retro

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There are many Kobe PEs to get jealous over. His Air Jordan VIII is just one of them, mixing LA colors with one of the most ankle-supportive models in the signature line. Wonder whether he still has them ready?

22. Nike Zoom Flight "The Glove"

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GP may not have been the feature guard on the 2006 NBA Championship Miami Heat, but he did have the best kicks. The Glove pulled out the best sneaker from his signature line and had Nike bless him with a hot PE. Gary's line is yet to get retro love but all the Heat talk could be enough to bring these back.

21. Air Jordan IX Retro Low

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Mike Bibby's sneaker game goes all the way back to Arizona. Upon entering the league, the Team Dime front man would become a member of Team Jordan. Long before Kobe was rocking low tops, Bibby did so on the reg, getting hooked up with AJ IXs drenched in purple patent.

20. Nike Air Max LeBron VII

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Sneakerheads didn't need to brush up on their photoshop skills to see what a Knicks colorway LeBron would look like. Playing off the Cavs throwback unis, two "Hardwood Classics" PEs would make the most out of royal and orange. Neither makeup released.

19. adidas THE KOBE II

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America, F yeah. When THE KOBE 2 launched, many took shots at it for its progressive design. Cameras took shots at it when this in-your-face flag makeup hit the court. Unfortunately in this case freedom wasn't free, as pairs were only made for KB and a high schooler by the last name of James.

18. Air Jordan II Retro

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You might not love the Jordan IIs but Melo sure did. His early pro days saw him hoopin' in Jordan II PEs in Denver colorways as well as a Team USA makeup. Only one out of the three were released to the public, but it was a big deal, marking the first time a retro PE hit the market.

17. Air Jordan XI Low Retro

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Simple and classy, DA's PE saw the most popular Jordan ever make the move from mid to low. Patent-laden lows have made the rounds just once with this classic untouched. A standout exclusive and still the best sneaker ever worn by a modern day Spur.

16. Nike Air Jordan X

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During his diamond departure, MJ kept his signature kicks visible in the league, hooking up some of the hottest young stars with PEs. Orlando Magic two guard Nick Anderson was lucky enough to get his own personalized makeup of the Air Jordan X. Unfortunately for Mike, Nick returned the favor by beating the man in his own shoes and sending the Bulls packing in the '95 playoffs.

15. Nike Air Force 1 High

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14. Air Jordan IX Retro

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13. Nike Air Zoom Generation "Christmas Day"

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12. Reebok Answer

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Allen Iverson's first year and a half in the league were as brash and exciting as it got. Unfortunately, crossing Jordan and dropping 50 like it was nothing wasn't enough for the fans or the coaches to vote him into the ASG his sophomore season. Reebok designed this red Answer 1 PE for his assumed debut but to the dismay of many it was never worn, and thus never released in the States.

11. Nike Zoom Huarache Mid TR

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Too soon? No. Having an MVP-caliber season in a non-basketball shoe has never been seen and previously never done. Doing so in an unreleased colorway in a major market is unexplainable. STAT is bringing new meaning to the phrase "work out" on the hardwood.

10. Air Jordan VII Retro

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In just a short period of sneaker free agency, Kobe made a case for having the most solid collection of Air Jordan PEs. Never settling for less than the best models, these black nubuck VIIs came alive with purple and yellow accents. From a performance standpoint they made sense too, as they packed the Huarache technology he would later rock on the 2k4.

9. adidas Equipment Elevation

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Jelly Bean Jr. made a name for himself at the coming-of-age party known as the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. The then-rookie was a fresh-faced 18-year old with a shaved head and bench splinters. Primed for the spotlight, The Brand with Three Stripes laced him in a purple PE of his first shoe, the adidas EQT Elevation. Kobe came home with the hardware, but adidas never came out with this true one-time exclusive.

8. Nike Air Jordan XI

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The Air Jordan XI "Concord" is arguably the greatest sneaker of all-time. Whether or not the next series of retros should feature #23 or #45 is another argument entirely. MJ's first time lacing up these legends under the bright lights came with his last time wearing the #45. A one-time only?

7. Nike Air Force 1 High

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Just as Penny Foamposites are the retro rage now, soon Sheed Forces will come back en vogue. While Roscoe rocked his fair share of patent makeups over his career (remember the red All-Star joints?), it was the "Terminator X" makeup that helped lift the Pistons to a great Finals upset and NBA Championship. Ya boy.

6. Air Jordan IX Retro

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LeBron rose to sneaker fame even before signing a shoe deal — or an NBA contract. As a prep, he became the first high schooler not named Marcus or Jeffrey to get an Air Jordan PE.

5. Nike Air Max 2 CB 94

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4. Air Jordan XI Retro

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Messing with the Air Jordan XI is dangerous territory. Ray's championship PE defines love/hate on a makeup flipping the most iconic Jordan with gold patent leather and a green sole. Never one to overdo things, Ray has saved these for special occasions.

3. Nike Air Foamposite One

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Rarer than a 1969-S Lincoln cent, this white Foamposite PE is the most valuable Penny. Icy sole, mesh tongue, and 1 cent logo are all intact with a smooth, white synthetic upper in place of the neon royal that made it famous. Never released and hardly seen, one would wish that the recent Foam craze sees something of this nature in circulation.

2. Nike Air Jordan V

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Ever wonder why the Retro Vs have a #23 stitched on the side? MJ's original game pairs were personalized that way for the man himself. While the pairs that released at the time were bare on the ankle except for the "Fire Reds," Jordan rocked perhaps the first player-exclusive Air Jordan with this embroidered signature on his home and road kicks.

1. Air Jordan III Retro

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Kobe's sneaker limbo between the end of his adidas deal and the start of his Nike one saw him rock everything from Reebok Questions to Converse Weapons. The bidding war would see JB lace KB with many Lakers colorway exclusives — none more coveted than the Air Jordan 3, a model Kobe showed favor to on and off the court. Could Kobe have been the future of Jordan Brand? We'll never know, but it's safe to say he's doing all right with the Swoosh.