All-Star for the Boston Celtics Following Jaylen Brown is one of the more interesting things to do in the NBA right now. He didn’t have a sneaker marketing deal for a few years after he broke up with Adidas in 2021. Since then, he’s mostly played in Nikes, including Kobe Bryant’s own line of shoes. But he’s also been a vocal critic of Nike. When the company cut ties with Kyrie Irving in December 2022, he questioned the brand’s morals.

Brown doesn’t like Nike as much as he used to, but he still plays in Nike shoes, even if they are customized to hide the Swoosh logo. Instead, he works with artists who help him use the shoes to send personal messages, such as images that inspire Black people, tributes to his family, and recognition of the game’s heroes. It was the second one when the Celtics went to Indiana to play the Pacers last night.

Brown wore the “Reverse Grinch” Nike Kobe 6 on the court. This pair was personalized with art that honored both Kobe Bryant and his beloved daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant. Along the middle panels is painted the phrase “In Loving Memory Of…” The unique work was done by artist Marcus “SolesbySir” Rivero, who lives in Miami.

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In the Celtics’ Christmas Day game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Brown also wore a “Reverse Grinch” Nike Kobe 6 without the artwork on the Swoosh. Brown called the shoe designs of today “trash” on an episode of Shoe Shopping last year. He also said that the sneaker game needs to be shaken up.