Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took home a lot of gold Sunday night. The NBA’s regular season MVP was also named the Finals MVP after leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to their first championship, and in recognition of the accomplishments, Converse made Gilgeous-Alexander a gold version of his signature sneaker.
Quickly after the buzzer ended Game Seven of the NBA Finals, and before he accepted the Larry O’Brien and Bill Russell Trophies, SGA was given a one-of-one pair of his Converse Shai 001 in “Trophy Gold.” The footwear company also had an advertisement ready to go with photographs from his childhood interspersed with footage of him playing in his forthcoming signature shoe debut while he speaks of his lifelong love of the game and his family’s support in him chasing his dreams.
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“Shai represents everything Converse Basketball stands for — creativity, confidence and a fearless approach to the game,” Jared Carver, Converse president and chief executive officer, said in a press release. “We’re incredibly proud to celebrate this moment with him and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their journey this season has been nothing short of inspiring, and it’s only the beginning of what we believe will be a defining era for both Shai and Converse Basketball.”
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As the creative director of Converse Basketball, Gilgeous-Alexander took the lead in designing his first signature sneaker. Converse unveiled the sneaker in February in a monochrome “Butter” colorway, and SGA has since played in all-black, all-gray and all-sky blue colorways as well. “Trophy Gold” marks the fifth iteration seen thus far — but fans won’t be able to get their hands on that one.
A locking zipper allows the Shai 001’s shroud to be worn in multiple fashions, and a forefoot Air Zoom unit carries over from the Nike corporate umbrella.
Gilgeous-Alexander became the first NBA player to win the regular season scoring title along with MVP honors in the regular season, Western Conference Finals and MVP Finals. In the series against the Indiana Pacers, SGA averaged 30.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
The Converse Shai 001 will debut in “Butter” during the fall through Converse’s website and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $130.
