Inside The Thunder

NBA All-Star Weekend: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Brings Converse Basketball to New Heights

As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to emerge as a superstar on the court and a fashion icon off of it, he's helping Converse re-emerge in the basketball space.
Nick Crain|
NBA All-Star Weekend: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Brings Converse Basketball to New Heights
NBA All-Star Weekend: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Brings Converse Basketball to New Heights

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Oklahoma City Thunder

The face of Converse basketball, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is emerging as a global icon. Not only is he one of the top players in the NBA at just 25 years old, but he's the ideal athlete for brands to partner with given he is known for being of the most fashionable people on earth. In fact, in 2022 he was voted GQ's Most Stylish Man of the Year. 

A starter in the NBA All-Star game over the weekend, Gilgeous-Alexander of course wore Converse basketball shoes when he took the court. However, given it was a special event he pulled out a unique pair that had never been seen before. A custom design that featured a knit look, these were one of the top pairs of shoes worn in the game. 

After the game, Inside the Thunder asked Gilgeous-Alexander the backstory of these exclusive kicks. 

"Honestly the Converse just surprised me with those. I didn't know they were coming. They're super fire. Shoutout to the team for sure," Gilgeous-Alexander explained.

At various points throughout the weekend in Indianapolis, Gilgeous-Alexander partnered with Converse for exclusive events. A true face of the brand, he's re-established Converse as a big player in the basketball space.

This partnership means a lot to Gilgeous-Alexander, which is why it's so important that he aligns with Converse's vision. This is something he discussed following the All-Star game when asked about why Converse is the right partner for him.

"The underdog mentality that the brand has and that I've had my whole career," Gilgeous-Alexander said of the synergy between him and Converse. "Our stories kind of align with that. We have the same vision for the future of Converse basketball."

Just as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird did in the 80s, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is bringing Converse basketball to new heights in 2024.

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Nick Crain
NICK CRAIN

Nick has spent the last four seasons covering the Oklahoma City Thunder and has grown quickly in the media since starting. He’s continued to produce Thunder content through writing for Forbes.com and podcasting with The Uncontested Podcast, as well as branching out to cover the NBA as a whole for SLAM Online.

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