A pair of trademark shoes has long been a dream of Anthony Davis’s.

In the first quarter of Game 1 of the 2023 NBA playoffs at the Chase Center on May 2, forward Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers faces bаttle against the Golden State Warriors.

Anthony Davis has been a top-tier player in the NBA for his whole career. He has been named to eight All-Star teams, four All-NBA teams, four NBA All-Defensive team appearances, and the 2020 NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. Although Davis has a tremendous resume, one thing that is missing is a distinctive shoe. In 2020, after winning the championship, he even brought up the subject.

Davis has been associated with Nike as an endorsement since his 2012 NBA debut. Many have speculated that Nike would use his unique unibrow to create a trademark sneaker. But Davis still hasn’t gotten one in his ten years in the NBA.

The mystеry surrounding Davis’s signature shoe and its possible non-materialization was illuminated in 2019 by a sports marketing professional.

Curry “embodies the complete package”—with his quick smile, boyish features, and deadly shot—according to NPD Group analyst Matt Powell. When people think of the Nike brand, they think of LeBron. Harden takes pride in his unique style and character. Davis may not have the same amount of marketability as other top athletes, but he is undeniably talented on the court.

Anthony Davis is the antithesis of the modern NBA model in a league where players are known for their dynamic personalities. Despite his exceptional basketball skills, he keeps a low profile and doesn’t share many details about his personal life. For the most part, Davis stays out of the limelight, both positively and negatively, and keeps his social media presence low. When he does speak with the press, he usually stays out of the spotlight and doesn’t sаy anything particularly noteworthy or provocative. 

I was never the outgoing type, even as a high school student here at Kentucky. We can spend all day joking and chatting outside of the locker room. A more accurate description would be that I’ve always been a very mellow man,” Davis remarked.

Large basketball players and signature shoe agreements have historically been at odds with one another. Shaquille O’Neal is the one and only outlier, and it’s not just because of his unparalleled basketball skills; his flamboyant attitude is a major contributing factor as well. Anthony Davis would have a hard time landing a signature shoe deal if he doesn’t have an enthralling personality.

When Nike released an All-Star version of the Air Audacity—fondly known as “The Brow”—in2015, Anthony Davis was the closest to having a signature sneaker. During the 2016 NBA All-Star game, Davis wore these shoes. Specifically, Davis’s distinctive unibrow symbol was prominently shown all over the sneaker design.

In the years that followed, Kobe Bryant’s iconic shoes were mostly worn by Anthony Davis. At first, he liked Nike’s Kobe 4 Protros, but he switched to the 5 Protros and, most notably, wore the gold 5s in the 2020 NBA Finals. Davis wore the Nike Cosmic Unity most of the time in 2021, although he rocked LeBron 20s as LeBron James did most of last season.

Everyone wants their own pair of sneakers when they’re little, Davis remarked. All of that and more can be done on “NBA 2K” when you design your own shoe. To be honest, I’d like to do this, but I know it won’t be easy. Earning a signature sneaker from Nike would be an incredible honor, and I would be overjoyed if they approached me about it. All I can do is keep plugging away at it, and eventually, I’ll reach my goal.