The NY vs. NY Series Returns With The Nike JA 1

Many of us haven’t even put our minds to Spring just yet, but Nike is thinking way ahead of the calendar. Each summer, the NY vs. NY streetball tournament pits the best amateurs in the five boroughs against one another in a branded talent showcase. For our purposes, that also comes with a collection of Nike Basketball selections. Now more than a year into their life cycle, the Nike Ja 1 is the first silhouette to be announced for the 2024 edition.

Shades of navy, teal and pink dominate this shoe, likely tacit Grizzlies ties as well as a reflection of Morant’s personal and on-court flashiness. However, there are some event-specific connections if you look hard enough. Namely on the outsole, where trademark NYC blue and orange are featured in a gradient from one edge to another. On the insole, an oversized trophy bearing the “NY vs. NY” title is displayed in a similar ombre.

Finally, this edition continues one of the more consistent design principles on previous Ja Morant shoes: split contrast from sneaker to sneaker. In broad strokes, the colorways are the same left & right, but his #12 graphic on the heel and Ja logo on the tongue swap between black and orange.

The Nika Ja 1 has not been given a concrete release date at this time, but you can comfortably expect a drop this summer over the course of the NY vs. NY tournament. Additionally, it’s very likely that this is just the first of a few branded drops for that time period, with performance models like the Nike Zoom GT Cut 3 or Nike KD 17 candidates to join the roster. For now, you can find an official gallery just ahead.

Elsewhere in the world of basketball sneakers, the Nike Book 1 “Haven” nailed down an April 6th release date.

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