Rashad McCants Breaks Down the Best Sneakers in the NBA

Rashad McCants has seen and done it all in the basketball world: McDonald's High School All-American, National Champion with the UNC Tar Heels, NBA, international leagues, and the BIG3.

Now, McCants is endearing himself to a new generation of hoops fans thanks to his commentary on Gilbert Arenas' show Gil's Arena. While McCants is known for his wit and humor, he has serious first-hand knowledge of the footwear industry from an athlete's perspective.

Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI spoke with McCants about his sneaker history, the state of basketball footwear, and more.

There is a lot of heat on Gil's Arena, but which host has the best sneaker rotation?

Gil has an adidas deal, and he's been getting adidas since 2008 or something. So he has access to everything. But Kenyon and Nick have some exclusive footwear as well when it comes down to some exclusive stuff. So it's a toss-up, but I'd give Gil the edge.

You were a Nike athlete from high school through the NBA. Would you run it back with Nike if you had to do it over again?

No, I probably wouldn't. I can see now independence is one of the things that one could cherish in the footwear space. I like what Jaylen Brown, Austin Reeves, and different guys who went the independent route have tried to do.

LaVar Ball was especially a big inspiration. The ZO2s, I still have them. Those are some of the first independent brand shoes that I actually supported. So, I probably wouldn't run it back. No slight to Nike, but I would definitely try to do my own thing.

Do you think there are too many signature sneaker lines in the NBA, or is it good that more guys are getting the spotlight?

Oh, it's great for more guys. If it was still segmented to two or three guys having signature shoes, they would be able to monopolize fanbases and all different types of areas.

I think the criteria for a signature shoe shouldn't be based on how many points you scored and all that kind of stuff. It's your fanbase. You know how you can tap into your fanbase.

Which current NBA player do you think has the best signature sneaker line?

It's hard to say. I think James Harden is still killing it. I think Ant-Man (Anthony Edwards) is killing it. But I'm not an adidas guy. I feel like those shoes are just uncomfortable for me. Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic and Jordan Brand, and they've been killing it, holding it down. Ja Morant, of course, he's been killing it.

I would say Jaylen Brown's shoe. From a performance standpoint, it is one of the best shoes I've ever put on. It's not as great looking as it should be, but its design is from him. So, he's going with what his taste is. Then there's a shoot called Evolve. I don't know if it's a personal shoe for anybody, but it's a nice basketball shoe, too.

Do you think WNBA players' signature sneaker lines are catching up with the NBA?

They have a long way to go when talking about signature sneakers and fanfare. It has a lot to do with the fanfare. They're all warranted, and they need that recognition to carry. Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, and Paige Bueckers are all coming up.

They all deserve a shoe just to bring the recognition. But you have to perform. You have to keep bringing the pain. So I think they definitely should get more signature sneakers, and I think the guys should help some.

You had a friendship with Kobe and wore player-exclusives of his shoes. Do you have a favorite shoe from your NBA career?

Oh, that's tough. There's a lot. So many memories with all the shoes. But it would probably be the Nike Kobe 3. But there are so many: the Air Jordan 14, Allen Iverson Answer DMX, the Pippen 2s, Huarache 2K4s, so many, man.

Last question: If you were in a Space Jam game, what shoes would you wear?

I would be wearing my Air McCants shoes. My own custom-made knockoff Jordans. The Bred 11s with the Burberry on the bottom.

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