The Memphis Grizzlies and all their fans are eagerly waiting for the 2024-25 season to start. With a slew of unfortunate incidents to their franchise superstar and other key players, the Grizzlies could never catch a break. But now, with the latest update on Ja Morant, it seems like the season can’t start soon enough.

In the meantime, Morant has no plans of leaving his fans stranded as the photos of his latest kicks have taken the internet by storm. The Nike JA 2 “Stargazer” truly does justice to the name. As opposed to his low-top JA 1, the latest shoes feature a higher cut. In addition, the ripple effect detail around the ‘swoosh’ tends to naturally draw the customer’s eyes to the vibrant purple colorway.

Couple that with the rumored $120 price point, it’s sure to sell like hotcakes. “Thoughts on Ja Morant’s new shoe? 🤔 Ja Morant’s upcoming Nike Ja 2 has recently surfaced online in a “Stargazer” colorway 👾 @nicekickshoops. The pair is rumored to be releasing in October for $120,” Nicekicks posted on Instagram.

The Nike JA 1 officially hit the markets in early 2023. Almost a 1.5-year gap certainly makes sense, given the year Morant’s had. Hence, this news comes like a breath of fresh air. However, Coach Taylor Jenkins provided a health update on Ja Morant just a few days earlier. During a recent Summer League broadcast, Jenkins confirmed that Ja was indeed cleared for full basketball activities.

“Ja, it’s go time. So very encouraged, medically cleared, full go, crossed all the hurdles. He’s been phenomenal with his rehab. Now it’s full go basketball with him with all the contact. Now it’s been more on the body, getting that back in the right spot. But now he’s full go basketball-wise. We can dive into his basketball plan,” he said.

From his 25-game suspension for brandishing a gun to the labrum tear during practice, the season had effectively ended for the 24-year-old. Memphis had seen a steady rise in their rankings in the nine games Morant played in between. Unfortunately, that was it as the Grizzlies finished 13th in the West. But as mentioned above, fans can’t help but be excited to see their young franchise star out on the court.

Even so, there are still a few unhappy fans on Instagram who look none-too-pleased with his “Stargazer”.

Fans on IG call out Nike’s Ja Morant kicks for ‘lack of creativity’

Straight off the bat, this fan put forward a serious argument. “Nike design team and creativity need to have a meeting because seriously this shoe looks like a LeBron mixed with a Kobe lol…” In all honesty, glimpses of probably LeBron XXI and maybe Kobe 5 can be seen.

This next fan had one more name to add to the list. “Kobes+Lebrons+Sabrina 2s = Ja 2.” A simple, straightforward equation, which unfortunately once again hits the mark. There’s no denying that the details from these three iconic kicks can be found in JA 2. The prominent swoosh and distinct patterns, not to mention the alluring purple colorway, do not help Nike’s case in the least.

In fact, another user has come up with quite a theory for such similarities. “All the Kobe & Kyrie model that got scrapped getting revamped.” We don’t have to tell you the aftermath of Nike terminating their contract with Dallas star guard, Kyrie Irving for his antisemitic comments. So, that subtle dig was also included here.

Andrew Dutton, a sneaker photographer, voiced a complaint that many annoyed fans of the global apparel brand would relate to. “Nothing original coming from Nike basketball rn.”

However, this last comment from an individual might leave the Nike PR team confused as to whether it was complimentary or insulting. Or at just the fine line between the two. “How different are y’all expecting a shoe? It’s 20 something Lebron’s and 12 Kobe’s. And y’all expecting a whole new silhouette and design we’ve never seen? Do the shoes look nice or not?”

Well … we’ll leave that to you to decide. Do share your insights in the comments.

Before you go, though, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe. Don’t forget to check back in for more such updates from our ES Fancast!