Victor Wembanyama had a special pair of sneakers on hand for the San Antonio Spurs’ first home game of the NBA regular season.
Ahead of the Saturday match-up against the Houston Rockets, Wembanyama was photographed with a customized version of his go-to Nike GT Hustle 3 sneakers. Referencing both his 2024 Rookie of the Year award and his well-documented fandom of the “Star Wars” franchise, Wembanyama’s “Wookiee of the Year” GT Hustle 3s were inspired by the furry Wookiee species which populate the films.
Like their Wookiee inspiration, the Nike GT Hustle 3s were draped in a shaggy brown and black fur which covered nearly the entire upper. Further customization included an alien face on the tongue – a nod to Wembanyama’s extraterrestrial comparisons – and “ROY 24” (Rookie of the Year) printed on the heel
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Surprisingly, Wembanyama didn’t end up wearing the shaggy sneakers in the tunnel, nor did he lace them up for on-court action against the Rockets. Instead, the 7’3” French star wore a more standard white-based colorway of the sneaker. Built with double-stacked Zoom Air cushioning, the GT Hustle 3 is considered one of Nike’s top performing basketball shoes of the moment. Although not a signature shoe, Wembanyama has been marketed as the face of the model in promotional materials.
In April, Nike held its A.I.R. (Athlete Imagined Revolution) exhibition in Paris which featured experimental concept designs including an AI-designed prototype created specifically for Wembanyama’s foot.
As for the game, the Spurs inched by with a 109-106 finish to tally their first win of the season. Wembanyama led the way for the team with 29 points and added 7 rebounds.
Given its impracticality for performance use, it’s highly unlikely this “Wookiee of the Year” version of the Nike GT Hustle 3 will be released to the public. However, other styles of the GT Hustle 3 sneaker are available now from nike.com for $190 each.
