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Ja Morant Explains Decisions Behind New Nike Ja 3 Shoe

Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant dove into the creative process behind his highly anticipated Ja 3 shoe
Will Despart|
Feb 20, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles the ball in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Feb 20, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles the ball in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

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Ja Morant's highly anticipated Ja 3 signature sneaker will officially hit retail outlets nationwide tomorrow, a shoe that some folks in the industry are calling a sneaker of the year contender. Morant sat down with Slam Magazine ahead of the big release day, where he broke down the process and some of the decisions that went into creating his signature shoe.

Morant embarked on a five-stop international tour this summer to promote the sneaker, building hype for its release by unveiling a special, limited-edition colorway at his stops in New York, Georgia, Beijing, Tokyo, and Manila.

It appears Morant took a more hands-on approach to creating his third signature sneaker than he did with the previous two, at least based on his comments in an interview with SLAM's Jared Ebanks released on Wednesday.

"I was able to be very creative in that room," Morant said. "I think it was my first time doing graffiti, but it worked out well. And we were able to bring it to life throughout the shoes in the Ja 3. We take many different approaches, but I feel like that day was special for me, because obviously we see what it led to.

"There are a lot of new things I experienced. A lot of new things that I got to see. And I was pretty much just in my element being able to do what I love, but also being able to tell my story at the same time."

For The Underdogs

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant
Apr 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) walks down the court in the third quarter of game two of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Because Morant had such a hands-on role in developing the Ja 3, it was important that it embodied the underdog spirit that took him from a zero-star recruit as a high school basketball player in South Carolina to the No. 2 pick in the NBA and two NBA All-Star games. In Morant's eyes, any kid who wears his shoe should believe in themselves the way he did.

“The Ja 3 was an outside-of-the-box idea, and we went with it because we all believed in it," Morant said. "I feel like for the kids out there playing, you might have some that are probably underdogs or some that probably don’t think they can make it. But it’s having that confidence in yourself, that belief in what you do, you know, what you do, that can take you to that next level.”

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Will Despart
WILL DESPART

Will Despart is a Las Vegas-based sportswriter who covers the NBA for OnSI. He also writes for Ballislife and handles multiple beats for The Sporting Tribune, including the Las Vegas Aces and Las Vegas Raiders. His reporting has been featured in newspapers across the country through the Field Level Media news wire.

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