What NBA players have been wearing in the tunnel prior to the game has garnered just as much attention in recent years as their on-court sneakers.
Week in and week out, players across the association are seen lacing up styles ranging from coveted collaborations between Off-White x Nike to Travis Scott's Air Jordans to friends-and-family exclusives coming through the tunnels. LeBron James and P.J. Tucker are typically names that readers would find on a list like this but there are also a handful of players that usually fly under the radar that's deserving of the recognition as well. Some highlights this week include Tucker breaking out the rare "James Dean" LeBron VIII in Madison Square Garden, Otto Porter turning heads with the yet-to-be-released Dior x Air Jordan I, and Zion Williamson lacing up the upcoming "DMP" Air Jordan VI Retro.
Below, check out our picks for the 10 best sneakers that came through the NBA tunnels this past week.
Nike Dunk Low 'Plum'
Player: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Date: March 1
Location: Smoothie King Center (New Orleans)
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope decided to break out the 2020 retro of the "Plum" Nike Dunk Low this week. The OG pair from 2001 was a Japan exclusive. Luckily, the more recent release that occured this past February was wordlwide.
New Balance 992
Player: Kawhi Leonard
Date: Feb. 28
Location: Staples Center (Los Angeles)
Team: Los Angeles Clippers
New Balance has been on a hot streak with its recent collaborations and one the best has been the "Colorist" Kith x New Balance 1700. While this is not the pair that Kawhi Leonard can be seen wearing above, the 992 colorway he does have on feet is incredibly similar.
Dior x Air Jordan I
Player: Otto Porter Jr.
Date: March 2
Location: United Center (Chicago)
Team: Chicago Bulls
Otto Porter Jr. decided to flex his endorsement deal with Jordan Brand by breaking out the highly-anticipated Dior x Air Jordan I a month early this past Monday. Most of us will have no chance of owning these super limited $2,000 sneakers, so photos like this will have to suffice.
Air Jordan VI Retro 'DMP'
Player: Zion Williamson
Date: March 1
Location: Smoothie King Center (New Orleans)
Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Another Jordan Brand athlete who wanted to show off his pair early this week was Zion Williamson. The rookie sensation arrived to his March 1 home game wearing the upcoming retro of the "DMP" Air Jordan VI. The pair is currently rumored to hit retailers later this month.
Strangelove x Nike SB Dunk Low
Player: Frank Jackson
Date: Feb. 28
Location: Smoothie King Center (New Orleans)
Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Nike SB Dunks are certainly a trend right now. While most are opting to dig up classic releases from the 2000s, there have been some new releases that are worth the attention as well. One of them is the velour-covered Strangelove x Nike SB Dunk Low released this past February by the California-based skate shop. The unique pair is seen being laced up by Pelicans guard Frank Jackson.
Off-White x Air Jordan V
Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Date: March 3
Location: Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City)
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been consistently arriving to games in fire fits all season. His most recent effort was no different with a standout being his Off-White x Air Jordan Vs.
Nike LeBron VIII 'James Dean'
Player: PJ Tucker
Date: March 2
Location: Madison Square Garden (New York City)
Team: Houston Rockets
PJ Tucker had "Halloween" Air Max 90s from 2014 on feet in the tunnel, but it was the pair he had in his hand that he would be lacing up during the game that really stood out. For his visit to Madison Square Garden, Tucker decided to show love to pull out the rare "James Dean" LeBron VIII designed by New York native and sneaker legend DJ Clark Kent.
Off-White x Nike Dunk Low
Player: Caris Lavert
Date: Feb. 29
Location: American Airlines Arena (Miami)
Team: Brooklyn Nets
Caris Lavert shocked the basketball world when he dropped a career high 51 points on Tuesday night, but a few times prior he caught the attention of sneaker fans when he laced up one of Virgil Abloh's best recent Nike collaborations, the "Pine Green" colorway from his trio of Dunk Lows that dropped in December 2019.
Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan I
Player: Anthony Davis
Date: March 1
Location: Smoothie King Center (New Orleans)
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
This past Sunday, Anthony Davis decided to arrive to the Smoothie King Center, his former home arena, in Nigel Sylvester's Air Jordan I collab from 2018. The reflective medial Swooshes and bright red laces helped the pair stand out even further.
Air Jordan VIII 'Doernbecher'
Player: Anthony Davis
Date: Feb. 27
Location: Chase Center (San Francisco)
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Anthony Davis gets two slots on the list this week. Before breaking out the aformentioned Nigel Sylvester collab, he decided to arrive to the Chase Center in the rarely seen "Doernbecher" Air Jordan VIII from 2014.