Matt Varga We’ll shelve the GOAT conversation for another day, but safe to say, Diana Taurasi penned one of the most illustrious careers that the W has ever seen, holding onto a rare combination of overall greatness, accolades, and longevity. Luckily for residents of the desert, all of that came under the Phoenix Mercury’s roof, and ironically given that resume as laid out, much of it with LeBron James’ signature line on her feet. As Arizona gears up to host NBA All-Star 2027, we’re getting word that some of the vaunted Diana Taruasi PE archive will come to the public for the occassion, as a black/purple Nike LeBron 9 colorwayh are in the works.
The original player exclusive pairs were crafted during the silhouette’s initial market run, coated in natural “Away” and “Home” arrangements that still found space for PHX-approved purple and orange. Though initially hitting the net a few months before the season started up, they’d make appearances on the White Mamba’s feet throughout the 2012 WNBA season.
Speaking to James’ overall legacy, the LeBron 9 retro run that revisited the beloved model, a high point in the “basketball as casual wear” wave, is already four years old, making the reappearance of the IX an intriguing one overall. Despite being on ice for several seasons, these faithful adaptations could be harkening another spin around the block for The King’s ninth, or could be special edition one-offs to celebrate one of the city’s most vaunted athletes.
The Diana Taurasi x Nike LeBron 9 PE in black and purple releases on February 19th, placing it on the Friday of All-Star Weekend. Catch images of the initial player exclusive looks below.
