IN PHOTOS: Hornets star LaMelo Ball debuts fresh Puma MB.03 kicks against Timberwolves
LaMelo Ball and Puma have continued to impress fans with a slew of unique sneakers since partnering up several years back. While Puma may not be one of the biggest basketball sneaker brands in the world, the company has been making their presence felt in the NBA community. In the Charlotte Hornets' recent win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ball debuted a new eye-catching colorway.
The design was quick to capture the attention of fans, given that the colorway appears to be a player-exclusive design rather than retail. With some unique features that don't appear on other models, the shoes certainly turned heads.
The colorway worn by Ball on Monday featured a number of design elements seen on other Puma MB.03 shoes. Namely, the unique blend of the outer sole with the upper, as seen in the black drip pattern on Ball's right sneaker above.
In addition, the colorway also features another staple of the LaMelo Ball Puma MB.03 line with the "1 of 1" stamp on the tongue tag. The tongue itself notably features the: "Rare Fear" text, which features on other iterations of the shoe. However, several other details remain unique.
Namely, the signature line "Not from here," which features on the front of the shoe's sole, as seen above, has also been added along the upper toebox. This can be seen on LaMelo Ball's left shoe above, alongside another unique feature, which is the addition of the "DiP" text, also seen on the left shoe above.
Looking at LaMelo Ball's signature Puma shoes, and why his father doesn't approve
LaMelo Ball's partnership with Puma has seen some truly unique and eye-catching designs over the years. With a unique design that turns heads, it's no wonder fans have continued to keep a close eye on the player edition models worn by the guard.
In addition to the colorway worn on-court Monday when the Hornets played the Timberwolves, another pair of Ball's shoes also made headlines this month. While they weren't a pair Ball was seen wearing on-court, his girlfriend, Ana Montana, took to Instagram with a photo of some eye-catching Puma MB.03 shoes.
The design seen on the Fashion Nova brand ambassador's story is another unreleased pair and likely a player edition iteration. With orange and yellow filigree decorating the sneaker's upper and a two-tone orange outer sole, the design left fans in awe.
Despite the success of the Puma x Ball partnership, not everyone is sold. As LaVar Ball indicated on a Vlad TV appearance last year, the deal is one of the worst he's seen.
"He signed with Puma, yes but it wasn’t no $100 million, not even close. Imma tell you this, I think it was a third of that. Maybe a little less. Sh*t it’s the worst deal ever. Come on man, … anybody taking that endorsement deal, it's the worst deal."
Given the positive reception around Ball's shoes, it's no wonder that fans have continued to eagerly await news on more releases of the Puma MB.03.