Katt Williams Clowns Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Adidas' Anthony Edwards Ad

The 2025-26 NBA season has begun, and so have the battles between competing sneaker brands. One of the most palpable rivalries in the league and footwear industry pits Anthony Edwards against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

For the past two years, adidas has marked Edwards with aggressive advertisements that call out opponents by name. After the Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2025 Western Conference Playoffs, Converse trolled adidas and Edwards with a social media post.

Adidas waited for the new season to clap back in epic fashion. On Friday morning, adidas posted an 80-second video where comedian Katt Williams dropped an NSFW rant aimed squarely at Converse and Gilgeous-Alexander.

Attention player haters and disbelievers of all kinds… pic.twitter.com/5tzoBwvUZ4
— adidas Basketball (@adidasHoops) October 24, 2025

Williams stepped up to the mic in a pair of adidas Anthony Edwards 2 basketball shoes and said, "Attention, player haters, and overrated disbelievers of all kinds. I stand before you today ten toes down as the bearer of bad news. Y'all done ****** up."

Williams rattles off Edwards' accomplishments from last season before addressing Converse and Gilgeous-Alexander without mentioning their names.

"Now, I know what y'all gonna say. There's a certain two guard, not named Anthony Edwards, who's all the rage right now. I can't deny it. He's doing his thing. But he's lucky his game is as smooth as his little poems, because those shoes, no thank you. The game left that brand behind for a reason. What else were we bringing back? Cigarettes and a locker room. Then I could play."

From the A to Minnesota. This one is for the city that turned Ant Man into a wolf.

The Blue Burst Anthony Edwards 2 is available October 25.#BelieveThat pic.twitter.com/dZCSBKZzvM
— adidas Basketball (@adidasHoops) October 20, 2025

Williams concluded his soliloquy by saying, "But I digress back to hand. This young man, the one who made your favorite hooper's favorite hoop shoe? He didn't just upgrade. He evolved, don't believe me. Fine. Stupid as free."

Edwards enters the empty auditorium, clapping and says, "I ain't gonna lie, that was hard, Katt. Ain't you forget something, though?" Williams added, "Ahh, yes. This boy here is the truth. Believe that."

It was another devastating ad from adidas and Edwards - especially the line about how the game left Converse behind like cigarettes in the locker room. Best of all, it leads perfectly to the upcoming release of the adidas Anthony Edwards 2 'Blue Burst' colorway.

Explosive game. Legendary rewards. 💥

The Anthony Edwards 2 "Blue Burst" is availablw now, in-store and online exclusively at Foot Locker. Sign up for FLX Rewards and redeem your points to enter the Anthony Edwards Game Day Sweepstakes in the Foot Locker app. pic.twitter.com/yxw4q8WpZC
— Foot Locker (@footlocker) October 25, 2025

The adidas Anthony Edwards 2 'Blue Burst' colorway will be released at 10:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, October 25. Athletes and fans can buy the performance basketball shoes in adult ($125) and kid ($100) sizes adidas, Foot Locker, and other select retailers.

Adidas launched Edwards' second signature basketball shoe last month in the 'With Love' colorway. So far, Edwards' sophomore sneaker has not hit the same level of hype as his debut hoop shoe. But provocative ads like the one starring Williams are guaranteed to make the shoes more popular.

In the meantime, Converse launched Gilgeous-Alexander's first signature sneaker earlier this fall. The Converse SHAI 001 has dropped in four colorways so far, and each has sold out quickly upon release.

It is safe to assume we have not heard the end of this growing beef between brands and players. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the NBA and beyond.

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