James Harden and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have more in common than just being the best in their respective fields—they also live life to the fullest. The LA Clippers’ guard and the undefeated boxing champion both enjoy the finer things in life, from courtside seats to luxury wearables. Their bond goes way back.

Harden was in attendance at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas when Floyd Mayweather took on Conor McGregor back in 2017. And Money Mayweather has returned the favor, by showing up courtside for many of Harden’s games including the 17 November 2024 game at Intuit Dome between Clippers and Utah Jazz where James Harden moved in the second place on the NBA’s career 3-point list by scoring 20 points to help Clippers beat Jazz (116-105). But their friendship isn’t just about sports. Just last year, they were spotted in Milan, turning up at Travis Scott’s “Circus Maximus” tour.

Anyway, their bond isn’t just about courtside seats and wild nights out. When James Harden dropped his new Adidas Volume 9 sneakers in late December overseas and in early January of 2025 in the US, he didn’t just send Floyd Mayweather a pair—he made sure the undefeated champion got two of his “Metamorphosis” drops. And we’re not talking about your average kicks.

One pair was a semi-court green, and another a core black, each priced at a cool $160 on the official Adidas site. But here’s the thing—it wasn’t about the price tag. It was about respect. Yesterday, Mayweather took to his Instagram Story to show off the gift, posting a picture of the kicks with the caption: “Thanks @jharden13 for the new hoop shoes. I appreciate you family.”

Last month, James Harden took to Instagram to announce that Metamorphosis would go global on March 15. And he did it in style. Harden posted pictures of himself stepping out of his custom V9 Maserati, a car designed to match his signature shoes. Talk about making an entrance! To top it off, he was rocking the same green pair that he revealed would be releasing next. As promised, the collection was launched, and Floyd Mayweather is already laced up—thanks to his ‘family’—James Harden.

But this isn’t the first time James Harden has laced someone up. He’s got a habit of sending his kicks to those he sees as special—whether it’s legends like Floyd Mayweather or rising stars making their mark. Harden doesn’t just respect talent—he recognizes it. And when he does, he makes sure they know it.

Back in February, he made sure his Adidas shoes landed in the hands of a five-star high school phenom on the rise. So, who are we talking about? Let’s take a look.

James Harden continues to inspire the next generation of basketball stars

James Harden just made a rising star’s day, and the basketball world is loving it. The LA Clippers guard surprised Kaleena Smith, a five-star high school basketball phenom, with a fresh pair of his latest Adidas Harden Vol. 9 shoes. Adidas basketball shared snaps of their meet-up on Instagram in February, captioning it, “The OG welcomes the future of the game. Now 🤝 Next.“

If you haven’t heard of Kaleena Smith yet, we’ll tell you. She is the number one overall player in the 2027 recruiting class and made history last November by becoming the first high school female athlete to sign an NIL deal with Adidas. But this wasn’t just a personal win. Her deal also secured Adidas sponsorships for both her high school team, Ontario Christian High School, and her AAU team, which is joining the 3SSB circuit this season.

James Harden was one of the first to welcome her to the Adidas family, keeping it simple yet powerful with his comment on the announcement post, “Welcome to the family.”

The 35-year-old knows all about representing Adidas at the highest level. His latest signature shoe, the Harden Vol. 9, is set to drop in at least six different colorways over the next few months. After the launch of the Cyber Metallic in silver and black, followed by the Pearlized in white and black, and the Metamorphosis in green and black, the Hell Cat in black and red will be launched on April 5, and the Ice Metallic in blue and silver on May 10. It seems more stars within Harden’s inner circle will be receiving similar goodies over the coming months like the one Floyd Mayweather got.

So, with all these fresh drops, the real question is—did you get your hands on a pair yet? Are you going to?