Who has the best kicks on Team USA for the Paris Olympics?

We’re just weeks away from the tip-off of men’s basketball at the 2024 Olympics in Paris and this weekend saw the U.S. men’s national team open training camp in Las Vegas.

Some of the biggest names in the sport were in attendance. LeBron James. Steph Curry. Anthony Edwards (the self-proclaimed No. 1 option). Team USA is currently a -390 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook to win the gold. We also just got the odds for the team’s first group stage game against Serbia on July 28.

But, it’s also important to remember that these are also some of the biggest names in sneakers as well. Which is where I come in. Past Olympics have seen many memorable kicks, from Michael Jordan’s Olympic 7s as part of the legendary Dream Team in 1992 to Vince Carter dunking on 7-foot-2 Frédéric Weis in 2000 in the Nike Shox BB4 to Kobe Bryant being the face of Nike’s then-newest “it” model, the Hyperdunk, back in 2008 while leading the Redeem Team.

So, I’m going to rank the sneakers we saw during the first weekend of training camp for Team USA as they prepare for the Games in Paris.

1. Nike Kobe 4 Protro (Tyrese Haliburton)

As I’ve written about before, the Kobe 4 is perhaps the most noteworthy modern basketball sneaker of what we’ll call the post-Jordan era. It ushered in the age of low-cut basketball sneakers and featured Nike’s Flywire technology, which also helped usher in the era of hoops shoes getting lighter and lighter and lighter.

In Vegas, Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton proudly showed off his Kobe 4s in “home” and “away” colors featuring majority white and blue uppers with contrasting swooshes with red trim and red outsoles on a white midsole. While not overly flashy perhaps, these would likely be the pair most sneakerheads would want the opportunity to purchase. Not only is the Kobe 4 still popular on the hardwood, but they remain popular in sneaker culture at large.

Given that Mamba is a two-time gold medalist (2008 and 2012), it’s only right that someone carries on his sneaker legacy in the Games and Haliburton is a fine choice to do so in a pair of fine-looking Kobe kicks from Nike.

The Kobe 4 Protro is not available in a Team USA colorway at the moment, but the Kobe 4 Protro with the highest average sales price on StockX currently is the 2019 Hornets Draft Day colorway, which has an average sales price of $630. If you are looking for a patriotic Kobe model, the Nike Kobe 1 Protro from 2018 is available on StockX for an average sales price of $290.

2. Adidas AE 1 Low (Anthony Edwards)

Ant-Man proved to be the breakthrough star of the NBA Playoffs and while his team didn’t win the title he can still continue his momentum by winning a gold medal. And likewise, his first Adidas signature sneaker also has the opportunity to continue its momentum this summer in Paris.

The AE 1 has already been getting notice and is considered by some to be a potential sneaker of the year candidate. There’s no debating the fact that it’s got people talking about Adidas basketball in a way that we haven’t seen since the days Kobe was rocking the Three Stripes. In fact, one could argue it’s the most consequential basketball sneaker of the post-Kobe era.

The model once again plays the hits when it comes to USA-themed sneakers, featuring a mix of a blue upper and tongue with red at the toe cap and white for the signature honeycomb middle of the sneaker along with a white midsole, white outsole and white AE logo on the tongue. Adidas says the AE 1s “are built for certified bucket getters. The combined BOOST and Lightstrike midsole is ultra-lightweight and adds outstanding energy return to your most explosive moves. A rubber outsole provides all the support you need to attack the hoop.”

The AE 1 is largely sold out at retailers, with low cut models expected to hit shelves in the coming months. The McDonald’s All-American colorway currently has the highest average sales price on StockX at $275. You may not be able to get this Olympic colorway, but Adidas will be dropping the AE 1 Ascent Lows on July 20 for a retail price of $110.

3. Nike Sabrina 2 (Jrue Holiday)

After a strong response to Liberty and U.S. women’s team star Sabrina Ionescu’s signature Sabrina 1, Nike introduced the Sabrina 2 in the “Court Vision” colorway last month.

Last fall, Sabrina told new Lakers coach J.J. Redick that she wanted anyone, anywhere to be able to put on the Sabrina 1 and feel like they can accomplish anything, as reflected on the “Anyone, Anywhere” phrase found on the inside of the arch of the unisex shoe. As such, the Sabrina 1 was seen on the court everywhere, including in men’s and women’s college games as well as on the feet of NBA and WNBA superstars. One of those NBA superstars who was frequently seen in the Sabrina 1 was Celtics guard and new NBA champion Jrue Holiday, which makes sense since his wife Lauren is a two-time Olympic gold medalist herself in soccer.

So there Jrue was in Las Vegas showing off an Olympic colorway of the Sabrina 2. The shoe features a white upper, with red accents, a blue swoosh and a white midsole with blue at the forefoot. Many have noted that both the Sabrina 1 and especially the Sabrina 2 pay significant homage to Kobe’s sneakers, so it makes sense that these have proven to popular with a generation of players who have grown up playing in Kobes. Nike says its “newest Cushlon foam helps keep you fresh, Air Zoom cushioning adds the pop, and sticky traction helps you create that next-level distance.”

Limited sizes remain in the aforementioned “Court Vision” colorway, but fear not, as Nike will be dropping the “Conductor” colorway on July 12 for a retail price of $130.

4. Nike LeBron 21 (LeBron James)

I have been on record as being a huge fan of the LeBron 20 and the LeBron 21 was largely the next step in the evolution of that model. I don’t think it’s quite as wearable as the 20, but it seems to be a very solid on-court performer. Nike says “the LeBron XXI has a cabling system that works with Air Zoom cushioning and a light, low-to-the-ground design, giving you agile fluidity and explosiveness without excess weight.”

Once again, the LeBron 21 plays the hits when it comes to Olympic colorways, with a majority white upper with a blue Swoosh on lateral side and a white Swoosh with red stripes and blue trim on the medial side. The shoe also features red and blue accents on the heel, a white midsole and a blue outsole. This is a somewhat surprisingly paint-by-numbers offering for a shoe with such a wide variety of colorways that veer off in interesting directions. But perhaps LeBron is planning on busting out the real heat once the Games begin.

If you’re feeling the LeBron 21s and/or are looking for a solid shoe to hoop in, Nike has a variety of colorways available ranging in price from $210 all the way down to $99.97 with some also having an additional 25 percent off as of July 8.

5. Nike KD17 (Kevin Durant)

Kevin Durant has one of the longest ongoing signature sneaker lines in NBA history and that continues with his KD17.

Of all the players on this list, Durant is the only player to lace up a pair in Vegas which is already available to consumers in that Olympic colorway. Said Olympic colorway features a mostly white upper with gradient red and blue waves with a white Swoosh with matching gradient red and blue trim.

The upper of the KD17, for me at least, evokes the legendary Air Max Plus running sneaker with its wavy lines on the upper, although the White/Black/Game Royal/White colorway seems like an homage to Penny Hardaway’s signature line, including the easter egg that is its Nike Swoosh.

Nike notes that the KD17 is “a shoe for gym rats and those who insist on running it back. A forefoot Air Zoom unit enhances your first step. We combined it with Nike Air cushioning to fuel full court sprints and defensive stops that can decide games.”

You can purchase the Olympic KD17s now on Nike’s website for a retail price of $150.

Best of the rest

1. Under Armour Curry 12 (Steph Curry)
2. New Balance Kawhi 4 (Kawhi Leonard)
3. Nike Book 1 (Devin Booker)

These are all kind of just there. It’s hard to remember the last time Under Armour really made noise in the sneaker space, while the Kawhi 4 also didn’t generate much noise this past season (although I was tempted by the Grey Days colorway. Maybe if it hits clearance). But at least those feel somewhat special. The Book 1, which is a shoe that is a love-it-or-hate-it shoe already, is a pretty bland colorway with a red upper with a white Swoosh and gum outsole. It feels more like a team shoe you would have found discounted in Eastbay back in the day rather than a marquee model set to see the spotlight of the Olympics.

Dishonorable Mention

1. Skechers SKX Float (Joel Embiid)

I’m sorry. I know Embiid really didn’t get any love from Under Armour. I know the old saying that big men don’t sell sneakers. But I just don’t see a world in which Sketchers is able to deliver a basketball sneaker that excites the masses or makes any impact in the culture or the market. And if it is able to create such a shoe, I certainly don’t think this is it. But if this is your thing, I’m happy for you. Everyone should be able to buy and wear what you like no matter what someone else’s opinion is, including mine.

Hit on me up on X — my username is @byAndySilva — to let me know what you think of this list and what you think of Team USA’s kicks!