Sneaker Rivals: Los Angeles Lakers vs Houston Rockets

For only the fourth time in their Hall of Fame careers, LeBron James and Kevin Durant are facing off in the playoffs as the fourth-seed Los Angeles Lakers take on the fifth-seed Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. On paper, the match-up should be an interesting battle between LeBron, Luka Dončić, and Austin Reaves against Durant with a collection of rising stars in Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson.

However, injuries to Dončić and Reaves have left the Lakers with having to rely on the 41-year old GOAT candidate who is still somehow playing at a high level. As a Laker fan, this sucks. As a fan of the game of basketball (copyright Michael Jordan), it’s going to be a treat to see LeBron and KD face off in the playoffs for what is most likely the last time.

James and Durant are also making sneaker history with this playoff match-up, as this will be the first time that two active signature shoe athletes with 19 or more entries will be facing off in the playoffs. It’s a factoid that I just made up to bring context to the reality that these two legends are bringing signature shoe lines that have spanned three decades.

And between brands being more cautious about who receives a signature shoe and this generation of signature athletes unlikely to reach the 18 to 20-year careers that James and Durant have achieved because of injuries and the increase in the pace of play, it’s unlikely to ever happen.

All of this is to say, instead of getting all in our feelings and dropping hot takes that would make even Stephen A. Smith blush from embarrassment (difficulty level: near-impossible), let’s enjoy the ride and appreciate our greats while they are still performing at a relatively high level.

But LeBron and KD are not the only players sneakerheads should watch out for in this playoff matchup. Injuries to stars with big sneaker deals like Luka, Austin, and Fred VanVleet might diminish the product on the court, but when it comes to their sneaker games, we can judge that on the internet all day long even if they are unavailable to actually play. Let’s take a look at what will likely be the marquee series of the first round as long as LeBron and KD can stay upright and Luka is able to return and the sneakers that have been rocking up to this point.

Los Angeles Lakers

Starters: LeBron James (Nike), Luka Dončić (Jordan Brand), Austin Reaves (Rigorer), Rui Hachimura (Jordan Brand), Marcus Smart (Puma)

Sixth Man: Bronny James (Nike)

There’s never gonna be a shortage of genuine critics and hating-ass haters when it comes to the father-son duo of LeBron James and Bronny James, but being able to see the entire breadth of James’ sneaker offerings from signature to takedown in one place is pretty cool to see. This season has been a year-long showcase for the Nike LeBron 23 with both retail pairs and player exclusives grabbing headlines every time a new colorway has been revealed. Bronny has been the anchor of LeBron takedowns as he wears both retail pairs and PEs of the Nike LeBron Witness 9 and the Nike LeBron NXXT Genisus.

While they might not be related (as far as we know), Luka Dončić and Rui Hachimura represent the duality of the Jordan Brand athlete. Luka is one of the pillars of the brand with a signature shoe and a relatively new takedown model designed and priced for kids to hoop in outdoors. Rui Hachimura’s Japanese roots has been the subject of some of the best Air Jordan retro PEs that have actually seen a retail release in recent years, but he’s also been turning heads with his Air Jordan 40 PEs in Lakers colors. As a Lakers fan, we’re gonna need you to release these too, Jordan Brand.

When Austin Reaves signed with Chinese sportswear brand Rigorer in April 2022, the number of internet searches for the brand probably spiked as Laker fans were trying to figure out where their new favorite player was getting the bag. Since then, the AR signature shoe line is now three entries deep and is quietly enjoying being an underground favorite. Reaves has certainly enjoyed the ride because the extension he signed with the brand in 2023 includes an equity stake in the company.

Marcus Smart completes the Lakers sneaker lineup with a variety of All-Pro Nitro 2s to provide the team with additional depth and versatility. The former NBA Defensive Player of the Year has been with Puma since 2019 when they made their much-talked-about comeback to hoops. Outside of the All-Pros, Smart has even worn Rihanna’s Puma Avanti sneakers on the bench, which is basically just an excuse for us to mention the multihyphenate superstar in this piece.

Houston Rockets

Starters: Kevin Durant (Nike), Amen Thompson (Nike), Jabari Smith Jr. (adidas), Josh Okogie (Nike), Jeff Green (Jordan Brand)

Sixth Man: Fred VanVleet (Li-Ning)

If we’re looking exclusively at their sneaker lineup, the 2025-26 Houston Rockets are akin to a Nike school that has one key player signed to an NIL deal from a different brand. With Fred VanVleet sitting out the entire season due to injury, we can only speculate what Li-Ning sneakers he would have brought to the table. After a brief stint with AND1, VanVleet signed with the Chinese brand in 2020. VanVleet’s absence makes Jabari Smith Jr. the lone Rockets rotation player who doesn’t wear Nike or Jordan Brand. Smith’s adidas sneaker lineup this season has included the adidas adiZero Select 3.0 in a number of colorways including the multicolor 3SSB pair made for their 3 Stripes Select Basketball league forelite high school athletes. Lately, he’s switched to the adidas Anthony Edwards 2, although he has yet to get the player-exclusive treatment.

At first glance, you might think Josh Okogie and Amen Thompson’s respective sneaker lineups would have some overlap. But that is not always the case. While both wear the Nike GT Cut 3 in various colorways, Thompson wore a special Fighter Jet Foamposite-inspired PE. Thompson has also been rocking the PEs of the new GT Cut 4. Their signature shoe choices are where we see some separation as Thompson is firmly in the Nike Sabrina 3 camp while Okogie alternates between the Nike Book 2 and Kobe 5 Protros.

From Seattle to Oklahoma City to Brooklyn to Houston, it seems that it’s only a matter of time before Kevin Durant and Jeff Green reunite once more on the same team. Their respective sneaker journeys have both been interesting to watch through the years. Durant’s signature shoe line that just recently introduced its 19th entry, while Green has been the recipient of some of the best Air Jordan retro exclusives. Last week, Durant debuted a special Nike KD 19 that pays tribute to the Air Jordan 18 that Michael Jordan wore in his final game. Green’s Air Jordan rotation this season has included the Air Jordan 4016, the Air Jordan 4028, and a trip back to the recent past with the Air Jordan 32.

Juan Martinez

From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. After recently getting into Formula 1, he now has hot takes about who the greatest driver of all time is. Email: juan@soleretriever.com