With the NBA Playoffs kicking off, one player is doing his best to channel his inner Spider-Man. Now he’s paying homage to his favorite superhero with some custom made shoes.
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Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell has long gone by the nickname “Spidaman” since his days playing for Louisville. Now that he’s a professional baller and in close contention to earn Rookie of the Year, he’s using a customized pair of Adidas Dame 4s to help his team in the playoffs.
And they just so happen to feature Marvel’s friendly neighborhood wall crawler. Mitchell will wear the custom shoes designed by Kickstradomis during the first round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
These won’t be the first Marvel-themed shoes worn by the breakout NBA superstar — he previously wore shoes meant to look like Spider-Man’s arch nemesis Venom in a previous game.
Designer Kickstradomis, real name Sal Amezcua, has customized many NBA superstars’ shoes to have a geeky flair. He recently made some Black Panther and Erik Killmonger-themed shoes, as well as Mortal Kombat and Lion King designs for other players.
He also teamed with Xbox to give his friend Josh Hart of the Los Angeles Lakers a customized Fortnite-themed Xbox One S.
The designer will also be present for Game 3 between the Jazz and the Thunder, taking place at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Mitchell’s rookie campaign has been a rousing success, guiding the Jazz to the playoffs after starting the season with 19 wins and 28 losses. He’s one of few rookies to lead his team in scoring while guiding them to the playoffs, averaging over 20 points per game.
Utah lost their first game against the Thunder on Sunday, and the rookie suffered a foot contusion in the first quarter. He’ll likely fight through it and continue to play, hoping to make the most of his athletic prowess.
It won’t be long until the “Spider-Man” nickname starts to stick and the rest of the basketball world takes notice.
