Jordan Luka 3s Cripple Doncic Whilst Damain Lillard’s Adidas Dame 9 Proves Lucky – Tale of 2 New Releases

For some NBA fans and enthusiasts, the love for a high-end and appealing sports sneaker is just as strong as their love for the game or even a particular player. More so, it’s always fascinating to see all these interests combined together. The same was recently seen during the Playoffs games between the Dallas Mavericks-LA Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks-Indiana Pacers. One game had Luka Doncic flashing his latest collaboration with Michael Jordan’s most renowned brand, while another had Damian Lillard revealing his Three Stripes collaboration with Adidas.

In the end, however, only one worked in favour of the player donning them.

The ‘Jordan Luka 3’ gave Luka Doncic the required momentum, but not the Mavericks

Luka Doncic entered the Crypto.com Arena a few hours ago wearing the soon-to-be-released ‘Jordan Luka 3’. The sneakers mark the third collaboration between the MVP contender and Nike’s Jordan Brand, with the first two taking place in 2022 and 2023, respectively. According to reports, they are set to be released to the general public under two colourways, the ‘Midnight Racer’ and the ‘Photo Finish’. During the Clippers clash, the Slovenian player donned the sneakers with the ‘Photo Finish’ colourway, which represents his love for cars.

Despite Doncic using the game to debut the ‘Jordan Luka 3’, the sneakers didn’t stay on the player’s feet for long. A few moments after the first quarter, he was seen switching to his iconic ‘Luka 1 PE’, which have been described as his “go-to” shoes. Using the ‘Luka 3’, the Mavericks star scored 11 points during the first quarter, while he finished the night with an overall score of 33. Unfortunately, his contribution, along with that of Kyrie Irving and PJ Washington, was not enough to put the Mavericks over the top.

The Clippers ‘physicality’ allowed multiple players to score, resulting in five of them having points in the double digits as the game drew to a close. In the end, they won by a score of 109-97.

The ‘Adidas Dame 9’ flash brightly along with Damian Lillard during the Pacers clash

While the Crypto.com Arena was having its own game, the Fiserv Forum over at Wisconsin was hosting their home team, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Indiana Pacers. With Giannis Antetokounmpo being absent due to a left calf strain, the pressure to lead the Bucks’ offensive effort fell upon point guard Damian Lillard. Along with hoping to perform well, the player seemed to have also created the impression of performing in style.

Lillard entered the basketball court while donning and debuting a pink variation of the ‘Adidas Dame 9’. While the shoes have been making waves amongst various sneakerheads since the All-Star game, an official release date is yet to be handed out on them. Marking the nineth collaboration between the Bucks star and the $42.73 Billion brand, the ‘Dame 9’ can be differentiated from the other sneakers through it’s slick build, raised mudguard, the iconic Three-Stripes logo located on the sides and the neon “D” logo noticeably placed on the tongue. While a red and black colourway ‘Dame 9’ made its debut during a private show back in February, this is the first time that the shoes have descended onto an NBA court.

The playoffs are turning out to be a good opportunity for Adidas to shine since four of the brand’s five signature athletes are playing in the games. Furthermore, Damian Lillard’s recent performance would have only helped to increase the rep ‘Dame 9’ and their other releases. Donning the purple shoes, he proceeded to drop a score of 35 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists all in the first half. While his contribution gave a big boost to the Bucks, it also allowed Lillard to become the first player in five years to produce the highest individual score during the first-half total of a playoff game. With Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis Jr. providing assistance, the Bucks eventually secured a win by a score of 109-94.

A single day provided two different stories for two new sports sneakers. However, if you had to choose one regardless of how their namesake players performed, which one would you choose? Let us know in the comments down below.