NBA
Nike is bringing back these classic holiday Kevin Durant sneakers
Mat Issa is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Yes, he spells his name with one "t." He's obsessed with NBA history, so much so that he's dedicated nearly two years of research to his two mini-series', "Blazing the Trail" and "The Quest for the Best." Right now, Mat goes to law school and writes about the NBA for The Analyst, Forbes, and of course, Basketball Insiders. His work has also been featured in ESPN, SB Nation, FanSided, Basketball News, ONE37pm, and Raptors Republic. Also, he's a lifelong Spartans fan. Go Green!
All posts by Mat IssaUpdated20 Dec 2023
It looks like Christmas…well, on time.
This holiday season, fans of Kevin Durant (and his sneakers) can enjoy his greatness with the revitalization of his KD3 “Christmas” edition sneakers. The fan favorite is available (starting on December 19th) at select Nike Basketball accounts and on the SNKRS app.
.@ianstonebrook’s got all the details on the KD3 ‘Christmas’ revival. https://t.co/GI7TKBLZq5
— Yoni (@OriginalYoni) December 20, 2023
The History Behind The Shoe
Durant first wore these sneakers on Christmas Day in 2010. During that game, while still a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Durant dropped 44 points against the Denver Nuggets.
The Christmas edition of the KD3s was part of a 2010 Nike Basketball “Stoplight” Pack alongside LeBron James and the late great Kobe Bryant.
It’s crazy to think about it now (considering all the success Durant has had over the years), but back when these shoes were originally released alongside James and Bryant, it signaled that Durant had arrived as one of the very best players in the entire NBA; a standing he has maintained ever since then.
“It shows that he’s arrived,” Charles Terrell, then Pro Basketball Nike Field Representative, told Nick DePaula in 2010. “It’s kind of his coming out party. It’s our way of launching him internally and saying, ‘Hey, he’s our guy, and he’s prominent on holidays too.’”
Kevin Durant On Christmas Day
Durant wore the Christmas edition of the KD3s during his first-ever Christmas Day game against the Nuggets in 2010. Since then, Durant has been a part of nine other Christmas Day games (a day that is traditionally the most popular of the NBA regular season).
This year, Durant will be participating eleventh Christmas Day game. And while we don’t know what shoe Durant will be rocking on Christmas Day (hell, there’s a chance Durant doesn’t even know), we do know he’ll be playing against the Dallas Mavericks. But this time, he will be doing so as a member of the Phoenix Suns.
Let’s see if he can put together another memorable Christmas Day performance.
