Official Images Of The Nike KD 16 “Ready Play”

From a myriad of injuries to “Cupcake” chants and two Finals MVPs, Kevin Durant has been through the entire wheel of emotions on the hardwood throughout his 16-year NBA career. Cemented as one of the game’s greatest scorers of all time, the 13-time All-Star now siphons the full breadth of his on-court experience into the Nike KD 16 “Ready Play”.

Eerily reminiscent of the storytelling from his early years with The Swoosh, each tone of the aforementioned colorway depicts the growth of Durant on and off the court. The cloudy “Vivid Purple” mudguard represents the low points endured throughout his career while the illuminating “Hyper Royal” hues of the TPU shank and outsole signify both his emotional range and clarity of mind. Separating the latter from the luminous “Deep Royal” upper is a slim “Metallic Silver” trim that amplifies the broken-in feel of the multi-layer mesh tooling above.

Continuing his obsession with watches and craftsmanship that’s been on display since his KD 6, the ridges of the tread underfoot resemble the intricate details of watch gears. What’s more, the sole unit returns some of Durant’s favorite aspects from the court feel of the KD 15; infusing the full-length foam cushioning system with a bottom-loaded Zoom Air unit placed within the forefoot. Elsewhere, a stable TPU mid-foot shank appears on both the lateral and medial side while an extra-durable outsole makes the transition from the hardwood to the blacktop as easy as his pull-up three.

Initially revealed in first-look imagery back in April, Durant’s 16th silhouette with the Beaverton brand now resides just a few months away from its typical September launch window. In the meantime, enjoy a detailed look at the Nike KD 16 “Ready Play” below as we await the pair’s release details.