- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wore Converse SHAI 001s during the 2025 NBA Finals, reviving the brand’s on-court legacy.
- Converse hasn’t had a serious basketball moment since the 1980s — this changes everything.
- The move wasn’t hype-driven; it was a personal statement from one of the NBA’s most stylish, authentic players.
For years, the NBA Finals have doubled as a global catwalk for the biggest names in performance footwear; a marketing arms race fought between Nike, Jordan Brand, Adidas, and the occasional Puma cameo. The biggest players wear the biggest brands. Signature shoes drop mid-series. Hype is as important as performance. That’s just how it works… until now.
Enter Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City’s fashion-forward superstar, who just did the unthinkable: stepped into the NBA Finals wearing Converse. Not retro All Stars. Not worn-once-for-style-tunnel-fits. Actual Converse basketball sneakers. On the court. In the Finals. In 2025.
If that feels like a glitch in the Matrix, you’re not alone.
Oten considered one of the most stylish players in the NBA and easily one of the most technically gifted, Gilgeous-Alexander has been quietly signed to Converse for years.
But his decision to wear the brand on basketball’s biggest stage has now thrust Converse back into a spotlight it hasn’t seen since the 1980s. For a company whose basketball legacy had faded into fashion nostalgia, this moment is a cultural earthquake.
Converse: From Hardwood to Hype and Back Again
To understand why this matters, it helps to understand what Converse used to be. Before Air Jordans, before Nike’s Flyknit, before Under Armour got Steph Curry, Converse was basketball. Its iconic Chuck Taylor All Star was the standard shoe for players from the 1920s through the 1970s. Dr. J wore them. Wilt Chamberlain dropped 100 points in them. Converse was the game.
But the brand never truly evolved into the modern era of tech-driven basketball footwear. As players demanded more support, cushioning, and innovation, Converse leaned further into lifestyle and heritage; a move that made them cool off-court but largely irrelevant on it. Even after Nike acquired Converse in 2003, the focus stayed on streetwear, not sport.
So when Gilgeous-Alexander walked out in a pair of his own Converse collection: Converse SHAI 001, it wasn’t just a personal brand move. It was a mic drop. A reminder that legacy doesn’t die; it just needs the right platform.
A Player Who Moves Differently
Shai isn’t your typical endorsement puppet. He’s one of the few players in the league who can make something cool simply by wearing it. A regular fixture in GQ’s fashion breakdowns, he’s built a personal brand that leans more into self-expression than hype culture. So if anyone was going to resurrect Converse’s presence in the NBA Finals, it was always going to be him.
And that’s the magic of this moment. It’s not manufactured. It’s not a viral marketing stunt. It’s one player’s decision to wear a shoe he believes in, and suddenly, it’s shifted the narrative around an entire brand. Converse didn’t have to compete with Nike or Jordan; they just had to bet on the right guy.
What This Means for the Future of Basketball Kicks
In the short term, don’t expect Converse to start poaching Jordan athletes or becoming the new sneaker of choice overnight. This is still Nike’s game, especially since they technically own Converse anyway. But Gilgeous-Alexander’s Finals statement is a reminder that authenticity wins. That cool isn’t manufactured in marketing rooms. And that sneaker culture is still hungry for surprise.
As basketball fans break down plays and finals stats, sneakerheads are dissecting this moment for what it is: a small but powerful shakeup. A brand once forgotten on the court has just been reintroduced to an entire generation, by one of the game’s most watchable stars. And just like that, Converse is back in the game.
