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Today is the first full day of summer, and the halfway point of the year is just two weeks away. With roughly half of 2025 in the rearview mirror, it is a great time to look back at the first half of the year in basketball footwear.
From the NBA All-Star Weekend through March Madness and the start of the WNBA season, all of the major sneaker brands have brought the heat to the hardwood with new performance models. Below are Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI's rankings for the ten best new basketball shoes of 2025.
10. Rigorer AR2
Player: Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves.
Highlights: Reaves' second signature sneaker is packed full of performance technology at an unbelievable price. The challenge is finding it on shelves in the United States.
Shopping Information: Online shoppers can buy the Rigorer AR2 for $100 at Rigorer.com and KICKSCREW.com.
9. adidas Dame X
Player: Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard.
Highlights: A top-notch basketball shoe for under $100? Only "Dame Time" can deliver like that.
Shopping Information: Online shoppers can soon buy the adidas Dame X for $90 at adidas.com.
8. PUMA Stewie 4
Player: New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart.
Highlights: Stewart continues to dominate the women's basketball footwear market with shoes designed to elevate lady hoopers in style.
Shopping Information: Online shoppers can buy the PUMA Stewie 4 for $120 at PUMA.com.
7. adidas D.O.N. Issue 7
Player: Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
Highlights: Mitchell built hype for his 7th signature sneaker during the NBA Playoffs, and fans everywhere will be able to get their hands on the shoe soon.
Shopping Information: Online shoppers can soon buy the adidas D.O.N. Issue 7 for $120 at adidas.com.
6. ANTA KAI 2
Player: Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.
Highlights: Much like Irving's game, the ANTA KAI 2 is artistic and performance-driven.
Shopping Information: Online shoppers can choose from multiple colorways of the ANTA KAI 2 for $125 in adult sizes at ANTA.com.
5. Curry Fox 1
Player: San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox.
Highlights: The Curry Fox 1 proved Fox can move the needle and Curry Brand is more than just Stephen's eponymous brand.
Shopping Information: Online shoppers can buy the Curry Fox 1 in adult and kid sizing ($85-$120) at UA.com.
4. Nike KD 18
Player: Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant.
Highlights: Durant is just as consistent in the sneaker industry as he is on the basketball court. The Nike KD line is always one of the most dependable basketball shoes on the market.
Shopping Information: Online shoppers can choose from five colorways starting at $155 at Nike.com.
3. Nike A'One
Player: Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson.
Highlights: Wilson's debut basketball shoe has been a smash hit with the sneaker community. It features a sharp design, complemented by an exciting marketing campaign.
Shopping Information: Online shoppers can buy the Nike A'One in adult and kid sizing ($90-$115) at Nike.com.
2. Jordan Luka 4
Player: Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic.
Highlights: Doncic debuted his fourth Jordan Brand basketball shoe against his old team and built on the hype with multiple exciting releases.
Shopping Information: Online shoppers can buy the Jordan Luka 4 in adult and kid sizing ($110-$135) at Nike.com.
1. adidas Harden Vol 9
Player: LA Clippers guard James Harden.
Highlights: Harden's signature adidas sneaker line continues to push the basketball shoe industry forward with its bold design, fire colorways, and great performance technology.
Shopping Information: Online shoppers can buy the adidas Harden Volm9 for $160 at adidas.com.
More Sneakers News
Kyrie Irving unveils the ANTA KAI 2 "White Phantom" colorway.
The adidas Harden Vol 9 "Red Metallic" drops this Saturday.
Trae Young works out in the Unreleased Air Jordan 40.
New Balance and Cooper Flagg declare the NBA Draft as "Flagg Day."
Nike launched the Kobe Vault: What does it mean for sneakerheads?
More must-reads:
- Why Rockets are managing Kevin Durant's future perfectly
- Draymond Green fires back at Alperen Sengun's comments
- The 'Active 20-home run MLB seasons' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Draymond Green fires back at Alperen Sengun's comments
Draymond Green is once again beefing with a European big man. The Golden State Warriors star Green threw some shade online this week at Houston Rockets counterpart Alperen Sengun. During an interview last week, Sengun spoke on the first-round playoff series this past season between the Rockets and the Warriors (which Golden State won in seven games). In the interview, Sengun said that he felt the Warriors, despite fouling a lot themselves during the series, kept whining about the fouls that weren’t called in their favor. You can read Sengun’s full remarks here. That led to a shady response on Wednesday from Green. In a post to his Threads page, Green clowned on Sengun for making those comments despite losing the series. “That’s a tough thing to say after you lose,” wrote Green. “You have to win to [say] stuff like that.” Green actually made some very complementary comments about Sengun’s game in the immediate aftermath of their playoff series. But even those comments were a bit back-handed from Green, and now the dislike between the two is in full bloom. Over the last decade, the Warriors and the Rockets have had a strong rivalry due to their five different head-to-head playoff matchups (all of which Golden State has won). With ex-Warriors star Kevin Durant now playing for the Rockets and Green openly feuding with Sengun, that rivalry is quickly approaching peak levels once again.
Celtics Notes: Anfernee Simons Trade Update, Boston Urged to Sign All-Star, Jayson Tatum Gets Honest
Craig Kimbrel lands with World Series contender after latest release
Craig Kimbrel is hoping to make an impact with an MLB team down the stretch, and a World Series contender is giving the former All-Star reliever a shot. Kimbrel agreed to a big-league contract with the Houston Astros on Thursday, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Kimbrel began the 2025 season with the Atlanta Braves after signing a minor-league contract with them in March. The right-hander started out with the Double-A Columbus Clingstones and did not give up a hit in three appearances. Kimbrel was then promoted to the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers, where he went 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 18 innings. The Braves added Kimbrel to their active roster on June 6. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning in Atlanta's 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants that day. Kimbrel allowed a walk and a hit in the inning. The following day, Atlanta made the puzzling decision to designate Kimbrel for assignment. Kimbrel opted for free agency rather than accepting his minor league assignment. He then signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers but never made it to their MLB roster. Kimbrel was granted his release on Thursday and signed with Houston. Kimbrel, 37, is a nine-time All-Star who has pitched for eight different teams during his MLB career. He led the National League in saves four times and was one of the best relief pitchers in the league during his prime. Kimbrel also helped the Boston Red Sox win a World Series in 2018. The Astros were 69-58 entering Thursday and had a 1.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. If Kimbrel is healthy, he could provide Houston with some valuable bullpen depth over the final stretch of the season.
Jerry Jones: Micah Parsons' agent told me where we could stick contract details
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants to deal with David Mulugheta insofar as to get Micah Parsons' agent to fill out the paperwork on the contract extension that was already negotiated. During an appearance with Michael Irvin on Thursday, Jones said Mulugheta told him to shove the paperwork up their heinie. "When we wanted to send the details to the agent, The agents told us to stick it up our a--," Jones said. "Just so we're clear. (Parsons) and I talked, and then we were going to send it over to the agent, and we had our agreements on term, amount, guarantees, everything. "We were going to send it over to the agent, and the agent said, 'Don't bother, because we've got all that to negotiate.' Well, I'd already negotiated. I'd already moved off my mark on several areas." Following an incoherent analogy to a child going between a mom and dad to negotiate, Jones accused Mulugheta of trying to "stick his nose" in negotiations to try to get the Cowboys to cave for a better deal for his client. Jones has no plans to back down from the agreement he had already worked out with Parsons. "In my mind, for the Dallas Cowboys, we've got it done," Jones said. "And if the agent wants to finish up the details, which he should, and do all the paperwork, he can do that, and we're ready to go. But as far as the amount of money, the years, the guarantees, all of that we negotiated." Dallas is set to conclude its preseason against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night with no end in sight to the biggest distraction on the team this summer. Jones should have avoided the situation with Parsons by dealing with Mulugheta directly, but that might have caused the theatre to be much less dramatic before the regular season.
Green Bay Packers: Mike Macdonald’s First Message to Matt LaFleur After Mayhem-Marred Practice
Joint practices in the NFL can be really heated. Just take for example the one involving the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, with fights erupting on the field between players from both sides. Even though it’s just a practice session with nothing significant on the line, the competitive juices of players can get in the way and spark fiery moments on the field. If anything, at least no one appears to have been seriously hurt from the multiple altercations reported. However, Packers right tackle Zach Tom was reportedly tossed out of the field after throwing punches at a couple of Seahawks players. Despite all the chaos that transpired between the Packers and the Seahawks, Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald had great things to say about Green Bay. Seahawks head coach sends message to Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers Brady Henderson of ESPN noted that Macdonald started his session with the media after the practice, “by thanking Packers coach Matt LaFleur and the organization for hosting them.” In any case, Macdonald felt good overall about his players. “It’s hard to tell what happened, who said what,” Macdonald shared. “Look, you want your guys to defend their [teammates]. There’s a line. Whether we go past the line, I don’t think we did, which is good. Our guys stayed composed. But some of these things do tend to happen, and however it gets started … hopefully it’s not our guys, but people are going to react to a certain extent. I think our guys handled it pretty well.” The Packers and the Seahawks will still see each other on the field this offseason, as they are scheduled to play in their 2025 NFL preseason finale on Saturday at Lambeau Field.
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