Editor’s Note: I asked our basketball editor, Jason, who pores over basketball gear all year long, to come up with his faves for the holidays.
Note to Santa, these are the coolest basketball shoes and apparel on my wish list for 2020.
Nike Kobe 5 “Bruce Lee”
The sneaker I’ve been anticipating forever dropped this year… and I struck out. The Nike Kobe 5 “Bruce Lee” dropped more than a decade ago and those iconic “Enter The Dragon” claw marks have made quite a few appearances on sneakers since.
Nothing tops the originator though, and I’ve been feverishly stalking StockX as resell prices start to drop. You can stalk along with me (but not for my size 8.5 thanks) at this LINK.
Carmelo Anthony Portland Trail Blazers Jersey
The true Melo (sorry LaMelo) was a revelation last year, helping the Blazers sneak into the playoffs after a tough start. I was hunting for a Melo jersey everywhere but couldn’t track one down. Hopefully old St. Nick blesses me with one of these custom Jordan Brand red jerseys on the 25th.
You can also go for a Robert Covington jersey at this LINK, or even customize your own jersey.
For the OG Sneakerhead: Nike Air Raid
If you got got some trash to talk like Tim Hardaway in the classic Air Raid commercial seen below, maybe you should cop that sneaker.
This was the first outdoor sneaker that Nike made way back in the 90s, and still holds up on the black top. If they put back up the rims at your local park, the Air Raid is a good choice to break some ankles. Grab your pair at Nike Store.
For the Futuristic Hooper: Nike Adapt BB 2.0 “MAG”
Great Scott, these are awesome. If shoe laces aren’t your thing, you’ll love the self-lacing Nike Adapt BB 2.0. This MAG colorway was directly inspired by the self-lacing shoes that Marty McFly laced up in back to the future. From the colorful dots, to the paint splatter midsole, nostalgia is in full effect for these bad boys.
Use CYBER25 until the end of day on December 1 to get these for 25% off at Nike Store HERE.
adidas Dame 6 “Ruthless”
The Dame 7 might be the latest in Lillard’s signature line, but these loud Dame 6s have my eye. Damian dropped massive buckets in this “Ruthless” colorway, living up to the nickname by eviscerating the Golden State Warriors for 61 back in January 2020. Oh hey, I wrote about that moment and you can watch the highlights HERE.
Grab a pair below retail at StockX.
Literally Any Basketball Hoop
Not gonna lie, the last 8 months has been rough without hooping. As mentioned above, park rims have been taken down and school rims locked away. Yelling “KOBE” at the trash can will only get me so far. If you’re interested, you can currently find many hoops for 50% off at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Jordan Chimney Hoodie/ T-Shirt
Whether you’ve been naughty or nice this year, the classic Jordan Santa ad design deserves to be under your tree this Christmas. I was lucky enough to grab the hoodie last year and it appears the 2020 restock has sold out at most spots. We did find the shirt at Champs and sizes of the hoodie at Sheikh Shoes though.
And with that, I must end with the vintage Michael Jordan ad featuring the bearded one himself. Happy Holidays to all our readers!
