Dybantsa was recently spotted donning the Sabrina 2s exclusive version released on Slam’s 30th anniversary on the occasion of their upcoming induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The sneakers were light blue and had a pink swoosh with Dybantsa, also wearing Nike socks. And a snap of the same was tweeted by the popular journalist Nick DePaula on Monday.

The light blue or teal-colored sneaker has intrinsic details. The heels of the shoe have the SLAM logo and a mention of the 30th anniversary. Plus, the insoles feature the 30th anniversary banner icon. The Swoosh logo has been so designed that it replicates a mirror finish, which many say is a way for young boys and girls to see themselves on the path of Ionescu and accomplish what she has done all these years.

Ionescu has been associated with Nike since her Oregon days. However, once she was drafted as the first overall pick by the NY Liberty in 2020, she got an official contract of $24 million to launch her own shoes. As part of the deal, the Sabrina 1s were released in March 2023, whereas in June this year, the Sabrina 2s hit the shelves. It is said Ionescu further paved the way for her peers like A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, and Breanna Stewart, among others, to have their own deals. Meanwhile, it certainly eclipsed Anthony’s desire to have a deal with Jordan Brand.

Kiyan Anthony wants to follow in the footsteps of his father

Kiyan’s father Carmelo Anthony had signed a deal with Jordan Brand in 2003. Going up to that moment, Melo had met Jordan once and revealed on his podcast that “At that point, I’m locked into Jordan.” It is said that Melo was with Nike during his rookie year, and Jordan took him with his brand. “I remember there wasn’t a plan at that point in time, right? But LeBron was at Nike, and MJ stepped up and said, ‘Look, I’ll pay half, Nike pay half. Look, I’ll take Melo, y’all got LeBron, Converse got D-Wade and [Chris] Bosh,’” the 40-year-old stated.

Taking a leaf out of Melo’s book, his son, Kiyan, too wants to sign a deal with Jordan. “I want an NIL deal with Jordan, ’cause my pops signed with Jordan. I feel like that will be fire,” Kiyan expressed. However, as he made the buzz in the market with his wishes to join the empire of the brand that hit $7 billion in revenue, Dybantsa’s latest sneakers somewhat overshadowed his clout.

Nonetheless, Kiyan must be happy that the father-son duo were gifted a pair by Jordan himself on the former’s 7th birthday. And hopefully, going ahead, Kiyan will give a tough reply to Dybantsa.