Andrew Rizzo The undisputed sneaker king of the NBA is calling it quits. PJ Tucker has announced his retirement on Instagram, putting an end to a two decade-long pro basketball career that saw more sneaker heat than anyone else in history.
Seasoned collectors need little overview of PJ Tucker’s collecting prowess. In fact, if you’ve been in the game long enough, there’s a non-zero chance you may have sold him a pair (someone in our office has). Tucker’s personal collection spans over 5,000 pairs, including tons of Nike and Jordan grails and myriad PEs, including those made for him as well as others in the league. We’re reminded of a time in 2022 when Tucker wore a sample of the then-unreleased Nike LeBron 2 “Beast” aka “Cheetah,” a sneaker so rare it even took LeBron, who he was playing against, by surprise at tip-off. Tucker wore a whopping total of 106 sneakers during the 2017-18 season, often swapping pairs at halftime. He also famously brought over 100 options with him to the infamous NBA COVID-19 bubble.
Tucker has been a Nike/Jordan guy his entire career, his love for sneakers ignited by early-to-mid 1990s Nike Basketball shoes. He was part of a 2006 NBA Draft class that also produced names like Brandon Roy, Kyle Lowry, and Rajon Rondo, but he played just one year in the NBA (for the Raptors) before being waived. He went on to play internationally for five years before returning to the NBA as a 27-year-old, earning a reputation as a solid “3-and-D” veteran role player for the Phoenix Suns and later the Houston Rockets.
We’ve compiled just some of the many memorable PJ Tucker sneaker moments below for your viewing pleasure. PJ has yet to announce how he’ll be spending all his newfound free time, but we’ve gotta imagine his passion for sneakers might have a say.
