Matt Varga Until Cade Cunningham debuts his shoe, Devin Booker holds onto his status as the most recent signature athlete on the Swoosh’s men’s hoops side. The Suns superstar is closing in on an unorthodox opening salvo under the brand, as his Nike Book 1 dominated social media feeds and the hardwood alike, wearing an unprecedented 100+ colorways from public releases to samples to the Book-exclusives that Devin himself wore in action.
If it didn’t have it already as a fresh product out of Nike Basketball, that context sets high expectations for the Nike Book 2, and Beaverton is acknowledging the moment with a new ad spot. Unofficially titled “Licensed For Skill,” the campaign pins Book as a James Bond-style secret agent, playing with retrofuturistic tech to spotlight his advanced stats profile, and of course, featuring the shoe in a mysterious black case. Raekwon, enlisted on narration here, adds some slick double entendres about the tech package that comes with Chapter Two: “keeping a low profile” alluding to the lowered height of the silhouette, “locking down in insolation” as in the Spiridon-inspired containment, or “catch[ing] ’em slippin'” in a nod to the AF1-style traction.
To reiterate the handoff between Booker’s signature shoes, the Nike Book 1 “Torched” closes Chapter One on December 30th before the Book 2 “Rising” begins a new one on January 2nd. The foamposite-like Book 2 “Phoenix” is expected shortly afterwards. Catch the full spot below.
