Feb 20, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles the ball in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Ja Morant Explains Decisions Behind New Nike Ja 3 Shoe

Originally posted on Memphis Grizzlies on SI
By Will Despart | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 5:01 PM ET

Ja Morant's highly anticipated Ja 3 signature sneaker will officially hit retail outlets nationwide tomorrow, a shoe that some folks in the industry are calling a sneaker of the year contender. Morant sat down with Slam Magazine ahead of the big release day, where he broke down the process and some of the decisions that went into creating his signature shoe.

Morant embarked on a five-stop international tour this summer to promote the sneaker, building hype for its release by unveiling a special, limited-edition colorway at h is stops in New York, Georgia, Beijing, Tokyo, and Manila.

It appears Morant took a more hands-on approach to creating his third signature sneaker than he did with the previous two, at least based on his comments in an interview with SLAM's Jared Ebanks released on Wednesday.

The Realest In It. Ja Morant stars for KICKS 28, and he brought mad colorways with him. https://t.co/dy7Fu0Yv1s pic.twitter.com/RmTeKdyozC
— SLAM Kicks (@SLAMKicks) August 20, 2025

"I was able to be very creative in that room," Morant said. "I think it was my first time doing graffiti, but it worked out well. And we were able to bring it to life throughout the shoes in the Ja 3. We take many different approaches, but I feel like that day was special for me, because obviously we see what it led to.

"There are a lot of new things I experienced. A lot of new things that I got to see. And I was pretty much just in my element being able to do what I love, but also being able to tell my story at the same time."

For The Underdogs

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Because Morant had such a hands-on role in developing the Ja 3, it was important that it embodied the underdog spirit that took him from a zero-star recruit as a high school basketball player in South Carolina to the No. 2 pick in the NBA and two NBA All-Star games. In Morant's eyes, any kid who wears his shoe should believe in themselves the way he did.

First look at more upcoming Nike Ja 3s from the new KICKS Cover shoot with @JaMorant: https://t.co/5gVkWmQDIP pic.twitter.com/YBTdP8uOdt
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) August 20, 2025

“The Ja 3 was an outside-of-the-box idea, and we went with it because we all believed in it," Morant said. "I feel like for the kids out there playing, you might have some that are probably underdogs or some that probably don’t think they can make it. But it’s having that confidence in yourself, that belief in what you do, you know, what you do, that can take you to that next level.”

This article first appeared on Memphis Grizzlies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: