Top performers in Week 20 of the NBA season were aided by some heat on their feet.
DeMar DeRozan came through in the clutch for the Chicago Bulls against the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night. DeRozan hit a midrange bucket near the end of regulation to send the game to overtime.
DeMar DeRozan ties it 117-117 with .3 seconds left in the 4Q 😱
Bulls-Pacers | Live on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/mxVCd7EzPz pic.twitter.com/FDFGnGsLAB— NBA (@NBA) March 14, 2024
The Compton, Calif. native scored a season-high 46 points on 62.5% shooting from the field alongside nine rebounds. His 3-pointer with 2:17 left in overtime put the Bulls ahead for good.
“It’s like a survival mode that kicks in, in a fun way,” DeRozan said. “You embrace those moments. For me, I just thrive off those moments. I’m not scared to fail.”
DeRozan did it all while wearing a special pair of Kobe Bryant shoes — the Kobe 9 elite low “Beethoven,” which was released in 2014. The sneakers pay homage to the legendary German composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
Here are some other top kicks from around the league in Week 20.
With his son Bronny playing for the USC Trojans this season, LeBron released a player’s edition of his LeBron 21 sneakers. The shoes include USC’s primary colors — Cardinal and Gold. James gifted the shoes to the men’s and women’s basketball team this week.
He wore the kicks against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, posting 18 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in a loss.
Tatum sported a new edition of his “Taco Jay” themed Jordan Tatum 2 shoes on Monday. It’s the fifth different colorway in the “Taco Jay” series, first debuted in March 2020.
The Celtics forward had 26 points, eight assists and five rebounds in a win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Haliburton brought his own sneaker heat in a matchup against DeRozan. He wore the Nike Kobe 8 What the Kobe’s, released in 2013.
It was part of Nike’s “What the” series that put together different colors and themes onto one shoe. Bryant’s own “What the Kobe” shoe came in 2012 with the Kobe 7, but the one Haliburton wore is arguably the most popular.
Haliburton recorded 17 points and 14 assists, his highest total since Jan. 19, against the Timberwolves.
Featured in last week’s top kicks, Edwards returned with more heat this week. He wore a new colorway of his AE 1 shoes, paying homage to his 10U Atlanta Vikings football team. The purple and gold colorways are similar to those of the Minnesota Vikings.
Edwards rocked the kicks against the Lakers on the road, scoring 25 points with 7 rebounds and assists a piece.
Oubre Jr. wore a special collab on Thursday — the Willy Wonka Converse All-Star themed kicks first worn by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in November 2023. The limited edition shoes are inspired by the Willy Wonka golden ticket storyline.
