Ja Morant
Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies celebrates they beat the Golden State Warriors in overtime at Chase Center on October 28, 2021 Getty Images/Ezra Shaw

KEY POINTS

  • Ja Morant debuted the Nike Ja 1 on Christmas Day
  • Morant joins LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant and Paul George as Nike's signature athletes
  • Morant is the 23rd player in NBA history to get a signature sneaker with Nike

High-flying point guard Ja Morant is possibly one of the most beloved players in the NBA today, and it's no surprise given that possesses a combination of swagger and skill that fans can't help but gravitate to.

The third-year superstar has helped the young Memphis Grizzlies to the No. 3 seed in the highly-competitive Western Conference with per-game marks of 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds.

Morant is also the latest player to receive a signature sneaker deal from footwear giant Nike.

In their game against the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, Morant laced up the Nike Ja 1 in the "Day One" colorway for the first time.

The low-cut silhouette, which features design cues that symbolize different factors of Morant's game and personal life, will be available globally in April 2023.

Morant also posted a series of tweets to help introduce the new sneaker.

"The [gift] I've always dreamed of finally arrived. Excited to share the Ja 1, dedicated to the one who inspires me the most," Morant wrote on a tweet accompanied by a video of himself and his daughter unboxing a pair of Ja 1s.

Morant joins the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George as current NBA stars to have signature sneaker deals with Nike.

Morant also becomes the 23rd player in NBA history to have a signature sneaker with the brand.

Prior to getting his own shoe, Morant was regularly seen wearing other popular Nike signatures such as Kobes, KDs, and the now-defunct Kyrie line.

The announcement of Morant's Nike signature model comes just days after the brand cut ties with one of its most popular endorsers.

In early December, it was announced that Nike had officially dropped Kyrie Irving as one of its endorses following a series of controversies surrounding the one-time NBA champion and seven-time NBA All-Star.

Durant chimed in on Morant's new signature shoe, playfully hinting that he'll miss seeing the spitfire guard play in his sneakers.

"It's a sad day knowing Ja will never hoop in the KD4s again," Durant said.

As mentioned, Morant's previous sneaker rotation included a lot of Durant's signatures, especially the KD4s, which is arguably the most popular of the former NBA MVP's shoe line.

Ja Morant
Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies calling the play as he dribbles the basketball during a game. Getty Images/Christian Petersen