UCLA Women's Basketball: Kiki Rice Shows Off New Jordan-Brand 'Cherry Blossom' Shoe
UCLA Bruins sophomore guard Kiki Rice became the first Jordan-brand NIL athlete with a personal endorsement on Sunday morning, with the announcement coming via social media.
The post debuted Rice's new shoes honoring her hometown of Washington D.C., a place she has been proud to represent.
The shoes feature UCLA's powder blue with a gradient of various shades of pink to display the colors of the cherry blossoms.
"Growing up in D.C., everyone always looked forward to the springtime when the cherry blossoms would bloom and you would be able to see all the incredible colors and the flowers and everything. I thought that would be a huge testament to D.C., because that is something so unique to that area."
The Air Jordan 38 Low shoes display cherry blossoms inside on the soles and the bottom. There is also a small flower on the tongue. Her name, Kiki, is on the heel of the left one as well.
"Growing up, I looked forward to wearing the shoes that my favorite players designed and I think for me, this is just a really big moment and I'm excited to rep these shoes."
Rice is averaging 12.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game this season for the Bruins.