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The back-and-forth dates back to October 2023.

The 2023-2024 NBA season can be summed up in one word: unexpected.

Not unexpected because the Boston Celtics won their 18th championship avenging their 2022 Finals loss or unexpected because the Dallas Mavericks claimed the West with their generational backcourt pairing of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.

The element of surprise this NBA season came in the form of sneaker beef as adidas and Anthony Edwards took the league and industry by storm with the adidas AE 1.

From the “Believe That” tagline to Ant Man’s swagger/trash-talking personality/nightly All-Star-caliber performances, Edwards and the Three Stripes perfected the nearly-forgotten formula of cooking up a sell-out-worthy signature shoe with a captivating rollout.

In doing so, brand executives, signature shoe athletes, footwear designers, and even rappers had words thanks to a little antagonizing from adidas and Edwards.

It even led to Jordan Brand and Jayson Tatum taking a shot at the Minnesota Timberwolves guard and the brand with the Three Stripes with their NBA Finals ad, “Don’t Stop Disbelieving.”

Now that the Finals-winning confetti has settled, a few questions remain.

Will adidas and Edwards respond with the upcoming releases of the adidas AE 1 Low or shelve it for the upcoming adidas AE 2? Will Jordan Brand double down on JT and the ad? Will Nike step back into the ring through its NBA signature athletes (Devin Booker, Ja Morant, or Kevin Durant)?

One thing’s for sure: this is exactly what the brands and the sport need.

Take a look at the complete timeline of how we got here below:

Anthony Edwards Throws Opponents’ Shoes | adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden vs. Jordan Brand Chairman Larry Miller | Anthony Edwards + adidas vs. Kevin Durant | adidas AE 1 Takeover | (C)Ant Billboard | Receipts | Jayson Tatum Billboard |

Anthony Edwards Throws Opponents’ Shoes

The subtle jabs date back to October 25, 2023, during the adidas AE 1 rollout in a video where Edwards throws his opponent’s shoes and labels his shoes as “the one” because they’re his.

The ad alludes to other signature shoes in the league, such as LaMelo Ball’s Puma MB.02, Luka Doncic’s Jordan Luka 1, Ja Morant’s Nike Ja 1, and LeBron James’ Nike Air Zoom Generation.

Some brands and signature athletes responded to Ant Man’s remarks.

adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden vs. Jordan Brand Chairman Larry Miller

Just a few weeks later, adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden called Nike out at the Footwear News Achievement Awards ceremony to “watch out” as they have more on the way.

Jordan Brand Chairman Larry Miller responded a few speeches later to “bring it on.”

Anthony Edwards + adidas vs. Kevin Durant

In December, in an interview with Nice Kicks, Edwards revealed that he wanted tenured Nike signature athlete Kevin Durant to wear the adidas AE 1 in a game.

Durant responded on X that we won’t ever see him “put a big toe in them Mfers” and solidified the adidas vs. Nike basketball feud.

adidas responded on X saying “u dusty bouta retire soon anyways” but deleted the post shortly after.

The flame continued to burn as Nike Basketball footwear designer Benjamin Nethongkome, who works on KD’s line as well as Ja Morant’s, Devin Booker’s, Sabrina Ionescu’s, and the previous Nike Kyrie line, chimed in via Instagram stories with a laughing emoji.

adidas AE 1 Takeover

While performance basketball hasn’t dominated sneaker culture and streetwear since the mid-2010s, the adidas AE 1 flipped the industry on its head with its refreshing design and colorways that took the signature shoe beyond the hardwood.

Not to mention, Edwards catching a body in-game with them certainly helps.

And if you still have your doubts, Wale donned the AE 1 more than once — a stamp of approval in the game.

(C)Ant Billboard

Ahead of the Western Conference Finals (where the Minnesota Timberwolves would fall to the Dallas Mavericks), adidas launched the (C)Ant billboard for all the non-believers.

Receipts

Following the Timberwolves’ playoffs exit, adidas launched its newest ad with Ant Man reading off the non-believers’ words about him.

It eventually got heated between Ant and Cam’Ron, following Cam’Ron’s receipt saying “To me, he’s an All-Star, but not a superstar, yet,” prompting Edwards to exclaim, “[f]*** buddy.”

The Dipset member clapped back at first with a freestyle and doubled down by calling out adidas for causing Kevin Ware’s gruesome 2013 March Madness injury.

Jayson Tatum Billboard

After Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics won the NBA Finals, Jordan Brand unveiled the ad for its signature shoe athlete with a graphic that read: “Don’t Stop Disbelieving.”

Speculation arose whether or not it was a jab to adidas’ “Believe That” tagline for the adidas AE 1. Some felt it was obvious while others considered it a reach.

However, the overarching subliminal was nearly confirmed as Jordan Brand’s campaign video for the ad began with the covering of what appeared to be an orange billboard to make way for Tatum’s ad.

Be sure to follow Nice Kicks on Instagram for more news and sneaker release dates.

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